Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime
Delhi is the city of dreams. This is where people come with a pocketful of hope and a desire to make something of themselves. You can almost taste this palpable desperation to rise above your competition, be the best there is. But underneath this air of hope lies, ironically, desolation. Scores of children are born into trying circumstances, forced to work to fill their bellies. This Delhi only reeks of resignation. This is the Delhi Akash Tandon, Kanika Narula, Sam Pillai, Leejo Joy, and Monica Vamdar were familiar with. These childhood friends had always been passionate about educating underprivileged children, all actively volunteering for various NGOs working towards this goal. This passion manifested into 'Pehchaan The Street School', one of Delhi's preeminent NGOs working to educate underprivileged children in the Delhi-NCR area.
Humble Beginnings:
Way back in 2015, Pehchaan The Street School only had 10 students and 5 volunteers- the founders themselves. The children of the Anna Nagar slum area were hesitant to be a part of such a fledgling initiative. In the early days, there were no classrooms to teach the children in; the volunteers resorted to teaching them outside on the streets. Soon, word spread and 10 children grew to 100 within six months. The people of the community pitched in and the nearby abandoned Valmiki Temple became the center of operations. Today, Pehchaan The Street School has 2000+ volunteers, 10 centers, and 1500 children, whose laughter abounds in the heart of every member of this organization.
Pedagogy:
Pehchaan The Street School prides itself on its holistic approach to education. The focus is not just on rote learning or studying for the sake of it; the pedagogy covers areas of personality development, value inculcation, co-scholastic activities, soft skills, and technology. Empathy and inclusivity- core values guiding the organization- shine through in the teaching methodology. Volunteers are well-trained and teach the students with the sensitivity and special attention they need. The environment is one where questions are encouraged and curiosity is rewarded. Akash Tandon, one of the co-founders puts it this way;
We motivate the children to pursue their hobbies and passions if they are struggling with their studies. We provide them an informal setup and the confidence to speak up and seek help. It means a lot to them because we immediately see a change in their behaviour after they start coming to us.
On top of academic help, psychology volunteers regularly hold counseling sessions, where social evils like drug abuse and bullying are addressed in an easily digestible way. The students learn to socialize and most importantly, learn to love learning; it is truly a 'Masti ki Pathshala'.
Impact:
From teaching on the streets to having 10 centers across Delhi, Pehchaan The Street School has made a name for itself. The students now dare to dream and work hard to turn that dream into reality. Success stories are plentiful, happiness even more. The entire organization is crowdfunded, which makes this even more impressive. Pehchaan The Street School has recently opened a vocational center that specializes in teaching computer skills. All devices are provided by volunteers or through donations from organizations like The Shikhar Dhawan Foundation. Financial literacy sessions were conducted in collaboration with Project Samarth and Youth India Foundation, further underlining Pehchaan The Street School's mission to equip their students with practical life skills. Esteemed media houses like The Hindu, DU Buzz, and The Better India have also recognized the impact of this tireless work.
What's Next?:
The goal of Pehchaan The Street School is to make education accessible to every child. This work is incessant, and the cost heavy. The organization is run entirely by volunteers, most of whom are college students with little time on their hands. Any help is tremendously appreciated- through donating supplies, and money, interning, volunteering, and collaborating to spread the word. There is still work left to educate the children of Delhi; become a part of Pehchaan The Street School and help realize this dream.