Educating 400 Children in 8 Slums in Delhi/Gurgaon

Subera’s Journey: From Hopelessness to Hope

My name is Subera, I am 12 years old, and I live in Dalit Ekta Camp, New Delhi. My father, Asfaq Ansari, works as a driver, and my mother, Tajo Khatun, is a domestic helper. I have three younger sisters, and for a long time, it was my responsibility to take care of them.

My father never loved us because he wanted a son. He believed that daughters were a burden and that spending money on our education was a waste. He would often come home drunk and beat my mother, and sometimes, he hit us too. Seeing my mother suffer every day made me feel helpless and sad.

One day, a yellow bus arrived in our slum. It was a mobile school, offering free education to children like me. I watched the other kids studying and wished I could join them, but I was too scared of my father. A few days later, two teachers approached me and asked why I wasn’t in school. I was too afraid to answer, but they spoke to my mother. She shared her struggles but still refused to send me to school.

That night, my father came home drunk and beat my mother badly. At that moment, she realized that suffering in silence wasn’t the solution. The next morning, she took me to the yellow bus and enrolled me in school. I was overjoyed! But my father didn’t know. Every day, after he left for work, I would secretly go to the bus to study.

One day, he found out. He was furious and beat my mother and me again. I was so scared that I stopped going to school for a few days. When my teachers noticed my absence, they came to my house to check on me. They spoke to my father and started counselling him about the importance of education.

After many days of counselling by the teachers, he finally changed. He realized that sons and daughters deserve equal opportunities. He stopped treating us differently and even started sending us to school himself.

Today, two of my younger sisters are also studying. I am happier than ever because I can follow my dreams. I want to become a teacher so that I can help other underprivileged children like me get an education and build a better future.

Project Introduction: Education on Wheels (EOW) brings school directly to underprivileged children through a mobile, well-equipped bus with computers and educational materials. The program aims to provide functional literacy to children living in vulnerable conditions, empowering them to improve their lives and contribute positively to society. EOW identifies non-school going children from slum areas and offers either remedial or non-formal education based on their needs. After preparing students for the Open Basic Examination, they have the option to transition to formal education. Courses are tailored to fit students' schedules and lifestyles, with curriculum and teaching methods addressing their emotional and social needs.

Top of Form

Covering Period: January2025 –March2025

Project Goal:

• To reach out to marginalized and working children (6 to 14 years).
• To educate street and working children to help them become knowledgeable, responsible, and useful citizens.
• Remedial education for dropouts and those who cannot follow lessons properly in school and enable non-school-going children to acquire certain minimum levels of knowledge and skills. (Functional Literacy).
• To mainstream children in formal schools through Open Basic examination.

Geographical Coverage:

Gurugram: Sarswati Kunj & Badshapur

Delhi: Dalit Ekta Camp, JJ Bandhu Camp in Vasant Kunj locality and Nangal Dewat & Sapera Basti in Mahipalpur.

Population Coverage:300 students

Beneficiaries Profile: -

300cstudents including: -

         i.            Dropouts

       ii.            Non-formal education

Program Team:-

Ms. Mamta Pal - Programme Manager

Ms. Rumpa Nandy - Project Co-ordinator

Ms. Roshni Lohar - Teacher

Ms. Kavita Yadav - Teacher

Ms.Himani Gunwant - Teacher

Ms. Hema Arya - Teacher

Ms. Sarita Rani - Teacher

Dharmender - Driver

Omprakash - Driver

Uttam Singh - Driver

Abbreviations: -

• OBE - Open Basic Examination
• WASH - Water, sanitation, and hygiene
• NFE- Non-Formal Education

Highlights of the Quarter

• A total of 116 students successfully appeared for theOBE exam
• 150 Students mainstreamed in the local Govt. Schools.
• Celebrated Republic Day in all project locations.
• Exposure visits with all enrolled student in Lodhi Garden and Dumduma Lake.
• Deworming medicine distribution to all students through ICDS center.
• Conducted socio economic survey to find out new location for the next academic year2025-26.
• Conducted TOT in Sukarya office premises by the resource person
• Distribution of shoes to all the EOW students.

 Activities planned and achieved for this Quarter at a glance: -

Activities                                           Total Session held         Direct beneficiaries     Indirect benficiaries 

Classes of non-formal education            230                                        300                                     3000

Classes of remedial education               230                                        150                                      1500

Enrolled Students                                   300                                        300                                      3000

Monthly Parents Teacher Meetings          3                                          398                                      3980

Awareness on WASH component            9                                          300                                      3000

Republic day Celebration                         6                                          300                                      3000

Links:

• facebook page of Sukarya
• twitter handle
• LinkedIn page