(via Times News Network) Nikhil Hamrangani writes:
It is a regular evening on the Marine Drive. People are out with their walkman and Ipod. Couples on the parapet are locked in embrace. Everything is just as it should be here. But, across the road, is an unusual sight. On the sidewalk near Hotel Ambassador, in the dim light from a jewellery store, street children are sitting on newspapers. These kids are probably the same urchins who tug at your shirt to sell magazines, flowers or just utter the familiar line: "I am hungry." But, here on the sidewalk, they are learning. This is the transient classroom of Hamara Footpath, an informal group of young boys and girls who want to do something for urchins.
At the helm of Hamara Footpath is its founder, 24-year-old Shubhangi Swarup. "It is an open community effort where people from all walks of life are encouraged to step in and engage themselves with the street kids in any manner that is helpful," she says. Thrice a week, from 7.30 pm to 9 pm, volunteers assemble on the footpath facing a jewellery showroom and interact with the kids.
Some take it upon themselves to teach the kids Basic English and mathematics. Others bring with them colouring books and pencils or sing and dance along with the children. And, every few months, Hamara Footpath takes the children to films, circus or on a picnic. Last Sunday, for instance, they went to the zoo in Byculla. There has even been a football session at Oval Maidan, a Christmas party, and a paper-making workshop.
"The development of a child is a holistic process," Swarup says. "Just sponsoring their education or putting them in a home is not enough. They also need personal time, attention and love which is what we are here for," she adds.
The sidewalk classes see about 25 kids with five to 10 volunteers, picnics attract over 50 children, including a few of their street-dwelling parents. Money for such outings is raised by volunteers from peers by way of e-mails and oral communication. But it does not end there. Nearby chemists, general practitioners and shopkeepers also offer a helping hand by sponsoring medicines or performing medical check-ups.
Volunteers come from diverse backgrounds. Swarup did an M.Sc in violence, conflict, and development from the University of London. 24-year-old Taha Jodiawala runs a family business of construction products. ‘‘Hamara Footpath quashed my misconceptions about street children and the poor after I spent time and unwound with them,’’ he says. Then there’s 28-year-old graphic designer Nupur Shah, who is endearingly referred to as Dupar Didi by several children. She teaches children art and craft.
And, apart from the regulars — comprising IT professionals, dentists and doctors — passersby, too, often join the cause after observing Hamara Footpath in action. "Each volunteer with his or her unique thoughts contributes in a unique way, seeing a problem where the others have seen none," Swarup says.
Hamara Footpath’s success has even garnered the attention of groups in Chennai and Kolkata who wish to extend Hamara Footpath there and continue its mission.
Today, with more than 18 million kids on the street, India has the highest concentration of street children in the world. And the number is growing. Many of these children die young for want of simple care. Many of those who survive are consumed by the city’s underbelly. Hamara Footpath offers more than what is tangible. "To look at us as a group promoting education is a dry way of looking at it. Rather, our objective is to generate an interest in learning." says Swarup.
More info @
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lifes_lessons_learnt_on_the_sidewalk/articleshow/2039449.cms
No comments:
Post a Comment