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Who are we?
 
 
 
 
We are an informal group working with street children in South Bombay. In March 2006 Shubhangi, a young Mumbaikar, approached an 11 year old boy selling flowers at a traffic signal and asked him if wanted to draw with her. In just a few months, her initiative has grown into a community project involving more than 60 children and 10 volunteers. Every week we spread newspapers on the pavement in the evening and entertain any child willing to lend us his attention. Through colours, lots of stories, math games, music, balloons, plays etc we try to inculcate an interest in learning, in the process attracting a lot of pedestrian interest. The majority of our volunteers, like our activities are spontaneous i.e curious people on the street we rope in to narrate a story or talk on a subject. As a result we are an eclectic group consisting of chartered accountants, businessmen, filmmakers, designers, housewives, lawyers, writers, students etc, adding diversity to our work. Artists add creativity to the process of learning. For example, drawing really helps improve handwriting. Mothers have tremendous experience in teaching and disciplining kids. Our corporate volunteers enforce a level of efficiency and result orientation that helps us propel forward. Our experience has shown us that biggest impact is made when people from different sensibilities and ways of thinking contribute. Children’s development and rehabilitation are highly complex and consuming processes, thus collective brainstorming is crucial for understanding the realities of street life and the way out of it. In the process we are confronted with related issues like the children’s illnesses, state of their family or lack of it, arbitrary laws and anti-beggar squads and the sheer apathy that allows it all to go unnoticed. We find that the world is really not as disinterested as it is painted out to be. Most of our work is done free of charge, thanks to the generosity of kind chemists, doctors, shopkeepers and professionals in and around our footpath.
To know more about our Evening Classes click here.
To know more about the volunteers and children, click here.
To read about our trip to the circus, click here.