Ray of light for homeless children

It all began, when she saw shabbily dressed children begging, sweeping floors in trains and selling water in used bottles at Lucknow railway station, a few years back.

Moved by their pathetic condition, Sonia Singh, a resident of Lucknow, took a vow that she would do something for them. And she knew that there was no better way to improve their condition and make them self-reliant than to give them education.

An enthusiastic Sonia decided to start an informal school for these children at the railway station itself. “I knew that education was the only way to save them from falling prey to exploitation, violence, stunted growth and psychological scarring and also to bring them to the mainstream for living with dignity,” Sonia said.

Today Sonia, who left her lucrative job with a multi-national company to take up social service, and her brother Ashish, who also joined the campaign later, have been running two formal schools for such children. “We started with a few children but now there are around 325, a majority of them girls, in the two schools,” Ashish told Deccan Herald.

They setup a voluntary organisation Astha Kiran and extended her endeavour to provide free education to orphans and slum children, who were deprived of education, in other areas in the city. “The underprivileged children not only have the right to dream but also get opportunity to realise those dreams,” Ashish said. “And this can be achieved by providing them suitable education and training,” he added.

He said that the two schools have so far  provided informal education to hundreds of underprivileged children and got over 50 children admitted in mainstream private schools for formal education. “We have around a dozen teachers and other volunteers, who impart education to these children and help them become self-reliant, responsible and contributing citizens,” he said.

Ashish said one of  the schools is named “Nai Roshni” (new light), imparts free education up to 6th standard.

“We plan to impart education till 8th standard in the near future…we want to convert them into intermediate schools (up to 12th) standard in the next few years,” he said.

Nai Roshni is for the girls only from 4 to 14 years of age and the girls are mainly from poor families and slums, he added.   “The girls come from places, which are several kilometres away….their enthusiasm is a great inspiration for us,” he says.

The duo also has plans to set up a school for the dropouts. “There are many girls, who quit school owing to one or the other reason…we want them to enrol and study at the school,” he said.

They also organise summer camps for children during which girls are imparted training in courses such as beautician. “The objective is to make these girls financially independent,” Ashish said.

The organisation recently held a workshop with 80 girls at Nai Roshni school where they were made aware of the steps they can take to recognise, prevent and react responsibly to child sexual abuse.

Computer training was an essential part of the education curricula at Nai Roshni.  The girls are provided hands-on training to use computers.  “Girls are taught to use software, including word processing, spread sheets, and presentations,” he added.

Vocational Training Centre for Women Programme offers training in tailoring and hair care services. It was designed for women seeking to acquire skills that would enable them to start their own business or seek employment in various trades. Girls are also taught techniques of self-defence so as to prepare them to take on the molesters.

Sonia has received an award from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for her contribution to the field of educating the underprivileged children.

Ashish, a computer expert and a master in social work, credits his sister Sonia for the initiative. “It was her brain child…though she, being married, has a family yet her devotion for the cause has not reduced even slightly,” he said.

Ashish, whose father is a freelance writer, said that initially there was some opposition in his family, when he and his sister embarked on their mission but gradually the family members realised the importance of their work. “Now we have their full support,” he said.
He said that the organisation had received support from the philanthropists and other charity organisations and individuals.

“There is no dearth of people wanting to lend a helping hand in alleviating the sufferings of the underprivileged and neglected sections of  society…what is needed is a sincere and honest effort,” he said.

“We know what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean…there are millions of such children in our country and so little is being done for them…there is a need for more people to take up social service…we must repay our debt to the community,” Ashish said.
The brother-sister duo intend to expand their work. “The biggest satisfaction for us is the smiles and success of the girls…when we find them standing on their feet and successfully dealing with a  crisis situation, we feel that we have been rewarded,” Ashish said.