By Rahul Thomas | Coordinator - Donors
Sahaara believes that every person has a dream, and our work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Children in observation homes are one of the most marginalized populations in Mumbai.
The children who live in these Homes come from different states of India and are educated in a Marathi medium school run by the Home. The language difference makes it difficult for them to learn. Remedial education helps in coaching the children in the Marathi language as well as their school subjects thereby helping them understand what they are learning and maintaining their interest to continue education once discharged from the Home.
Sahaara staff procures addresses of discharged children from the home authorities. The social workers then traverse through labyrinthine gullies of Mumbai slums searching for the children’s residences. Through such home visits, networking with local schools, facilitating assistance in books and materials, the child is facilitated entry into formal education paving the way to a bright future.
THE FIRST STEPS TO SUCCESS
When circumstances overtake us, sometimes all we can do is sit tight and hope for the best. When Upendra* was 9 years old, his parents both passed away. His father was involved in an accident and soon after, his mother contracted an illness that she was never cured of. Upendra and his elder brother and sister were sent to stay with their aunt in Kharghar, in the city of Mumbai.
His aunt admitted him and his siblings into the Additional Observation Home in Mankhurd as she was unwilling to take care of them. He stayed here for a while until he shifted to Bal Kalyan Nagari (BKN), a children’s home, in 2012.
Sahaara has been working in BKN to help the children from the 1st to 5th standards by coaching them in the subjects they study at school. In 2012, when Upendra moved to BKN, he began to attend our coaching sessions.
When we first met Upendra, he was a very aggressive child. He used to beat the other children and found it very difficult to make friends with any of them. The other children were also wary of him and kept him at a distance for most of the time. He lied frequently and either argued with us or maintained a stubborn silence whenever we tried to interact with him. He was also having difficulties in class as he didn’t know how to read or write and so struggled with the coaching classes.
As we realised what kind of situation Upendra was in, we began to give him more and more personal attention. We counselled and encouraged him, using interactive methods such as flash cards and group activities to get him more engaged with the idea of learning.
Over time, as we persisted with Upendra, we began to notice a change. He argued with us less and started to take part in activities in the class more. He made a few friends and then a few more. With time, he learnt English and Marathi, the language of the state, and he started to enjoy learning and taking part in the coaching classes we held.
We were delighted to see this change in Upendra and we marvel now at how far he has come in the past few years. Upendra has settled down and he enjoys his time learning and making new friends in class. We are sure these are just the first steps towards a successful life. It is our dream at Sahaara to see positive changes like these in the lives of all the children we work with!
*Names changed to protect identity
By Rahul Thomas | Coordinator - Donors
By Rahul Thomas | Coordinator - Donors
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