A day.. Dil se...

Hi everyone

This is Eshita Gupta from 2000 BBPS batch. I am from economics background & currently pursuing Ph.D. from Indian Statistical Institute (Delhi). I would like to thanks Mayank and Varun for inviting me to write on this blog and tell you all about our visit to Aman Biradari street children school (in Shastri Nagar).

Tarun, Mayank, V and I visited this home on 5th September (teacher’s day). Basically this NGO takes care of the homeless street children (involved in begging and rag picking) after rigorous scrutiny through field work (whether they really need support, parents background etc.). It has about 85 children... of which 55 are going to school (mostly to nearby government schools). Children by and large stay in this home and are allowed to go out with their parents (usually on weekends). Apart from meeting their basic food, clothing and medicine requirements this home provides them with additional educational support (in form of bridging classes taken by paid teachers, learning computer, spoken English) and recreational activities- classes for painting, theatre, music, sports and games, martial arts, picnics, yoga, etc.

I think that most of us can definitely help them in some way. I had never visited any NGO before. But in my wish list one of my wishes was to see the working of such a home. Still I never planned any such visit myself. Three of them planned it and informed me just a day before…. I just wanted to make a small point that we are all very busy and could not find time for such things even if we feel like.. After visiting this place I realized how difficult it is to run such an organization and it’s a big responsibility.. many times things go out of their control… Meenakshi (who is working in this home) told me how skin disease spread among these children frequently… Most of these children come here after facing incredibly difficult situations in life. Further they have mental pressure/inferiority complex as they are far behind other children of their age.

Here is a brief list of the areas this NGO is looking for volunteers

• Education and tuition of children
• Recreational activities with these children
• Yoga classes- By the way Tarun takes yoga classes twice a week.
• Health care services by doctors, medical students and health workers
• Volunteers for counseling and drug de-addiction
• Legal services for children in conflict with the law
• Meeting children on streets and traffic lights to build bonds and motivate them to eventually move for a better life in residential homes
• Becoming a friend of one homeless child or youth over a long period
• Mobilizing volunteers and resources in cash or kind
• Internships for working with homeless children and women, on streets, and in hostels and schools, research and documentation

If you have other innovative ideas or questions you can also get in touch with Meenakshi (working in this school at mini.y83@gmail.com).

Thanks