Sshrishti

When I was told that I have to volunteer at an NGO, the first thing that came to my mind was the heat, the villages, and the rural areas that I’d have to visit. Then I gave it another thought. It hit me that these are the people who lack the basic education to be able to make a living for themselves. Having the privilege of being educated in a private institution, school as well as college, makes me feel obligated to contribute to the society in whatever little way I can. My aim is to make at least one child, one student come out stronger, more educated by the end of my internship program. I want at least one child to be able to do what she/he needs to pursue a career or hobby that they would be interested in. Working at Sshrishti India Trust in their Gurgaon center, Ujala, my job was to teach the children everything, from scratch. The average age group of these children would be 5-14 years, some younger and some elder too. The most challenging part was of course m...

Choosing a good firm for your internship is not an easy job. I was lucky enough to choose one. Sshrishti India Trust was the organization I shortlisted after much research. At Sshrishti, I had fun as well as learned a lot about NGO working and its principles. Learning is the important part the important lesson which my mentor Ms. Ankur gave me was interning in a Ngo is an adventure. You get to visit and understand places in your city you never thought existed. Me and my friends interned in Sshrishti means creation. It has the mission of creating a literate and equitable society with every child and woman empowered to pursue their dreams. It is a very good Ngo to work for and I was lucky enough to get selected. On our very first day we went to see some of the centers of Sshrishti. Sshrishti Ladli and Sshrishti Jai Hind camp. These are some centers which are located near Vasant Kunj. There we met some inquisitive children and we had candid discussions with them about...

Bali’s family fled to India from Sindh in Pakistan fifteen years ago. As a refugee fleeing persecution, her childhood memories include images of a harrowing flight under the cover of night. She was only ten years old at that time, but vividly recalls hiding behind trees and shrubs, holding her breath in fear. The family drifted to Sanjay Colony, Bhati Mines. A remote part of Delhi, almost unknown to the outside world, the dry terrain and the ramshackle huts here provided a familiar landscape. The mining activity in the region provided employment to the people from their village who had fled earlier. Bali’s family put up a mud and thatch home in the growing colony of hutments and started their life in the new country. Her father opened a roadside vend and made a living selling daily home necessities. But a monthly income of 5000 rupees was never enough to provide for a family of seven. The first casualty was very predictably, Education. Growing up in a community displaced...

In 2009, a frail, careworn woman walked into our premises. Behind her, was hiding a little girl. Having migrated from Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh in search of a livelihood, the woman now works  as manual labourer at a construction site. She grappled exploitation and toiled away to raise her five children. Deepa was nine, the eldest of the children and bore much of the burden of household chores. In her eyes however, we saw the resolute light of hope, a yearning to learn, to grow.  Deepa was led into the nursery class at Sshrishti and thus began her journey to growth and learning. With much enthusiasm and vigor, she amazed us with every step she took in the direction of a better life. Amidst students much younger and apprehensive in the spaces of a school in the beginning, Deepa took to learning with much ease. She was a keen listener and an eager student. She soon ventured out of the classroom and began participating in numerous other activities – extra-curriculars, sports...

The family of little Esma migrated to Delhi when she was 6 months old. Her parents were hopeful that they would get a decent living in the national capital as they would be able to get good jobs that the city might possibly offer. However, soon after migration, they were faced with the harsh reality of the city life and they ended up living in Jai-Hind Camp, an urban slum in Masoodpur (near Vasant Kunj), Delhi. Car-washing was the only job her father could find, while her mother earned small sums by working as a domestic help. The family lived from hand to mouth and as is the case with most such households, to think of education of their children was a far-fetched dream. Young Esma was however resilient in these times of distress, times that she had gotten used to over the years, and dared to dream beyond her means. She wished to study and be independent. While her parents wanted her to be married to a decent groom who could provide for her, she had other plans for herself. ...

Bhatti Mines region, also known as Sanjay Colony is one of the most backward settlements in Delhi, quite detached from the hustle of the NCR region. It is a 45 minute long ride from Chhatarpur metro station through a small stretch of the forest into this area. When you finally reach, you see a community of Pakistani migrants called ' ood ' in a region of Bhatti Mines which is now called the ' Pakistani Mohalla '. They have received this land from the Indira Gandhi government, on the recommendation of Sanjay Gandhi, for settlement and began working in the Bhatti mines of the region to earn a living. However, this settlement colony has been far neglected and quite divorced from what we usually call and describe as 'development' or ' vikaas'.   The mines are now shut due to environmental issues and there are no alternate opportunities for the present generation while the next generations have no conducive environment for learning and g...