Education for 600 Vulnerable Children in Kolkata

Five years ago, the communities where we work were almost entirely illiterate. Children dropped out of school as young as aged 10. The boys would find labouring jobs and the girls would be expected to help at home until they were married off, thus repeating the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and misery endured by their parents.

But in 2016, with a modest donation from a local corporate, Tiljala SHED was able to extend the after-school classes and offer continuing educational support to youngsters from class 6 and upwards.  These evening classes, at first covering just 25 students, attracted a huge amount of demand within the 4 communities where we work. Soon there were 50, then 100 and now we have over 200 students studying in class VI up to class XII. This year we have 8 students in college. This is unprecedented – this is the very first cohort to attend university.

So in five years these communities in Topsia, Park Circus and Tangra have gone from being almost entirely illiterate to having a serious cohort of literate young people.  Many have now also completed diplomas in computer studies and during lockdown, thanks to our generous donors, we supplied them with smartphones.  

This has transformed the community. Computer literacy means that the youngsters can help their families apply for government schemes – bank accounts, widows’ pensions, health insurance, ID cards, ration cards. They can help their parents with their businesses, reaching new customers.

Fahim (pictured) lost his mother in a terrible accident a couple of years ago and is now helping support his family as well as being one of our first cohort of undergraduates.  He takes on labouring jobs at the moment but would like to become a delivery driver with one of India’s app based delivery firms. He has the knowledge, the motivation and the smartphone and has asked us for a bicycle. He assures me this won’t interfere with his college studies. We fully support all our undergraduates taking on part time work as we know that it is their job skills and a reliable income that they need most of all. Fahim will get his bike very soon.

My colleague Parveen reports on Fahim:

Fahim is studying in First Year B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in Bangabasi Morning College and preparing for his First Semester Government Examination to be held in March 2023.  He is also one of the team members of the Topsia Cricket Academy under the leadership of Rehan, a youngster from the same community. He goes for the cricket practices held twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays from 6 to 10 am in Park Circus government playground. He is interested in doing a part time delivery boy job for which he requested Shanty Trust for a bicycle.  He sometimes does temporary part time jobs as daily labourer to earn some money to meet his most basic requirements and support his family. He also helps his father in household work such as cooking and washing ever since his mother died in a road accident.  Fahim is a quiet fellow who is very obedient and well behaved.

With your generosity we can do the same for others. A bicycle costs about £80/USD100.

Links:

• Recent newsletter from Tiljala SHED and The Shanty Trust