A group of residents, of Sectors 92 and 93, work together to provide few hours of love, care and guidance to the little children, whom they saw roaming around directionless beside the traffic lights or playing on construction sites. They started with teaching them in the open area, 7 years back, with few children of the construction workers. A Trust was formed and named Naranarayan Nyas, which they got registered in 2017. As more children joined, they approached Panchsheel Balak Inter College, Sector-91, that adjoins the sector. The management permitted them initially to teach in the school verandah; later, seeing the dedication and focus of the trust gave them 2 classrooms to use.
In a well-light spacious room classes run under the guidance of Shivani ma’am who is BA BT and Dr Saraswati ma’am, who is a PhD. The students developed by them from the scratch and have been able to follow the basics of 3Rs (Reading, writing and arithmetic) are being taught by 2 volunteers – Meenakshi Mahindra (Retd Principal, Bhartiya Vidya Bhawan, Chandigarh; residing in The Forest Spa) and Neha Goel (Computer engineer; residing in Silver City).
The 2 groups on each side of the classroom were busy in studies, when we visited the class a week back. We wanted to know more about these bright children in uniform and the efforts to channelize the energy-packed kids who greeted us with a smile.
Shivani ma’am briefed us that initially they have to be motivated into sitting and concentrating on what is being told to them. Basic cleanliness and courtesies, along with recognition of alphabet letters and numbers, is taught to them. Teaching here is entirely different from a regular school, since children are of different age and background and it takes time. Sarawati ma’am was dealing with kids individually and at the same time keeping all engaged during this time. On the other side children initiated into learning were intently listening to Meenakshi ma’am and Neha ma’am respectively.
The main challenge is to retain these children. Many are from families where elders are migratory workers. Such kids come for only few months. Some have their parents working as maalis, part time home jobs and in housekeeping in the societies, and are regular. The number goes up to 70-75, but keeps to 30-35 on an average.
“We are doing our best to give an healthy environment to the children with studies, uniform, books and meals cooked in desi ghee. The few hours they spend here that channelizes their energies, we hope benefits the entire family is some way,” shared Shanti Prasad Agrawal, one of the founders and active trustee who visits the centre regularly.
This is made possible by the involvement of the Trust members and the generous contribution of the residents. The members are all eminent persons who have been successful in life and wish to provide opportunity; and hope to see, even a few, able to shine. Following are the 7 members of the Naranarayan Nyas Trust – Sugyan Modi, Shiffali Gupta, Sunil Kumar Ram, Pinky Gupta, Shanti Prasad Agrawal (all residing in The Forest Spa, Sector-93B); JP Shukla and Mr Vishal (from The Forest, Sector-92).
