From a Beginning to a Movement: 11 Years of Pehchaan The Street School
Located in the heart of the Indraprastha (IP) estate is the Anna Nagar jhuggi jhopri in New Delhi. The settlement stands alongside an open stormwater drain. Just across the drain lie some of the most prominent state and central government offices, creating a stark contrast that has become so familiar that it goes unnoticed by the public eye.
In 2015, Akash Tandon, along with a few of his friends, visited the slum as part of a college survey. They walked into the settlement that is home to around 10,000+ people, while crossing the drain, they saw a group of children playing near it, and some of them were swimming in that filthy drain water. They tried to warn and explain to them in the simplest way they could, about the health hazards that polluted drain water can cause to them.
But they continued playing, perhaps because they had grown up accepting such surroundings as normal.
Demotivated by the condition of the children, whose childhood was slowly slipping away under the burden of their socio-economic circumstances, they went back.
When Concern Turned into Purpose: Birth of Pehchaan The Street School
The most impactful social service initiative does not necessarily start with a strategic vision, but with a question nobody ever asks. For Akash Tandon and his friends, that question was so simple: Why aren’t these children in school?
With a strong desire to find an answer to the question that was constantly disturbing them, they came back. The answers they found were very simple yet emotionally stirring.
Many had migrated from other states with their parents, who came in search of livelihood. Some accompanied their parents in selling stationery items, fruits, and so on. Girls were expected to stay at home, managing their younger siblings and household work. For them, school was not inaccessible; it was unimaginable.
This is how the Pehchaan The Street School took birth, and a safe and happy place (Sukoonghar) for children coming from marginalized communities was made. With no prior plans, no funding, no resources, but with 5 volunteers, 10 students, and a strong resolve to support and bring a positive change in the lives of underprivileged children by making education accessible to them irrespective of their socio-economic background.
Once the journey started, the community never said no. Aware of the fact that drain side is not a respectful place to teach, they offered a place in the nearby temple to teach their students. The ones who resonated with the mission kept on joining hands, taking the mission forward. The volunteers came forward with whatever skills they may offer to the students. Contributions came from individuals and communities and so forth.
Since then, it’s been 11 incredible years of Pehchaan The Street School. What began with a question became a mission to educate underprivileged children and transformed into a movement that has impacted countless lives by far. Pehchaan The Street School has maintained an 11 year expansion by growing to more than 10 centers, serving 1600+ underprivileged children and enlisting over 2000+ volunteers across Delhi NCR.
Over the years, the organization has not only provided academic support to the students, but has also nurtured confidence, self-esteem, creativity, and hope for a better future ahead.
Celebrating the Past While Looking Towards the Future
Commemorating a decade plus one milestone, last month on 25th and 26th April, we celebrated the 11th birthday of Pehchaan The Street School.
At our Indraprastha center in Delhi, the celebration was carried out with our stars, our lovely students.
On the day of celebration, everyone came with the best outfits they had. The centre was decorated by our volunteers with utmost love and care. Individuals and communities came forward with cakes, refreshments, and thoughtful gifts. We celebrated together, sharing experiences, stories, and spreading positive vibes all around.
The celebration became inspiring and emotional when our alumni from the first batch shared their success stories with the students. That was the moment of immense pride for everyone at Pehchaan The Street School family. What made the moment even more special was witnessing our former students becoming volunteers at the same centre where their own journey once began. Everyone felt motivated and uplifted.
The next day, celebration took place at Connaught Place, Delhi. This time, the center point was our volunteers. The day was filled with joy, happiness, gratitude, and appreciation. The event included lively activities like dance, singing, sharing stories, and experiences about their journey with Pehchaan The Street School. The stories shared were about the experiences gained, personal growth, challenges faced, the transformative power of education, which turned the party mode into emotional, inspiring and the moment to reaffirm the mission objective.
No celebration is complete without cakes and delicious food. All enjoyed and tapped each other’s backs motivating each other. As a token of appreciation, gifts were presented to the volunteers for their dedication, hard work, time, and selfless efforts.
The celebration served as a platform to connect, to strengthen bonds and to inspire more people. Everyone revived the spirit of shared commitment for educating and empowering the young learners.
The journey continues – 11 years is just a start, many more lives are still waiting to be touched, empowered, and given the opportunity to grow.
The quote,”Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much,” by Helen Keller, reminds us of the power of collaboration.
As we step into the next chapter of this journey, we encourage you to join hands and walk towards making education accessible to every child, irrespective of their socio-economic background.