By Rahul Thomas | Donor Coordinator
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.
Vishal is excelling in his studies!
Vishal thinks he was born in 2002 and has no idea as to where his parents live. He knows that, when he was at home, he had a younger brother and sister.
In 2007 his parents were having a huge misunderstanding and, in fear, Vishal ran away from home and got lost. The police found him loitering near a railway station and put him in the Dongri Home for protection.
The following year he was shifted to another Home and in early 2011 he was moved to the Chembur Children’s Home where we met with him for the first time.
In this Home, Sahaara conducts supplementary education for the 1st to the 6th grade and basic computer literacy classes for the 8th and 9th grade, along with counseling the children.
Vishal was a very reserved boy who kept to himself. When questions were asked during the coaching classes, he was never one to raise his hand and offer an answer. Whenever he was included and asked to say something – he would invariably add a disclaimer and say that the answer may be wrong. He rarely participated in any of the games that we conducted.
He did well in his exams, and in any written work he would be above average – but hesitated and struggled when he had to interact one on one. He was very low in confidence.
The teachers, noticing this issue, involved him in group activities and made him take a lead role in managing a group of children and generally kept encouraging him.
In a short while he began to open up to the teachers in the class and poured out his life to them.
He was beaten up at home very often and used to think that he would die one day with the beating – that was a fear that made him run away at that tender age.
As the teachers began to walk alongside him – noticeable changes began to appear in Vishal’s life.
He began to get prizes for cleanliness and attendance, and by the year end, had won the best overall student prize as well as stood second in academics! A huge shift from being a reserved child to one that was able to play alongside and work with his peers!
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