by anouradha bakshi | Sep 14, 2018 | Whats new
Through the month of August 2018, all our Centre’s children keenly monitored the floods and rescue operations in the state of Kerala. The Centre Managers explained the causes of flooding and encouraged our children to come up with ways to help the flood victims. A collection of funds ensued at all our Centre’s. Our Yamuna Centre that had its own experience of living with floods (as the children’s homes are close to the banks of Yamuna river) were the first to raise INR 2500. All contributions will be donated to the relief operations headed by Goonj.
by anouradha bakshi | Sep 14, 2018 | Whats new
On The Road Again 2k18, a group of French Youth in India for a month, came and visited our Project WHY Centres on September 8, 2018. They interacted with our children and resource persons to understand the vision and reach of our program. We would like to thank them for supporting us via Enfances Indiennes.
by anouradha bakshi | Sep 11, 2018 | Anou's Blog
“Live for cause which is bigger than yourself! Be Astonished by your own existence.” Deepak Chopra. These words resonated deeply. For the past two decades I have strived to live a life larger than myself though I still have a long way to go to truly astonish myself.
The day I decided to step out of my comfort zone and start looking with my heart was a watershed moment and I have never looked back. I have been treated to the most amazing and astonishing experiences and have been taught innumerable lessons in compassion by the most unlikely teachers. The children of Project Why have been my masters in unconditional love and hence Project Why has become my true spiritual journey.
More than anything else, it has made me discover who I truly am and compelled me to take an inward journey and dig deep to spaces yet unknown. And at each step a miracle was conjured to make me want to take the next step.
Project Why has been a teacher taking me gently by the hand and proving me time and again that beauty and kindness exist in the most unlikely places; showing me that dreams come true if you truly believe in them.
The latest lesson came form a bunch of incredible kids who proved that giving is not, as many think, the prerogative of the privileged. When we decided to collect funds for the survivors of the Kerala flood, I would have never imagined that my Yamuna kids, the very ones who had lost everything in the recent Yamuna floods, whose fields lie barren and water logged, who survive by catching and selling fish, would be the ones to bring in the most money in the shortest time. My 80 Yamuna kids collected a whopping two thousand seven hundred rupees in three days. This was undoubtedly a huge lesson in compassion and big heartedness. It turned on its head all our misconceived beliefs and was a most humbling experience. My gratitude to all these wonderful little souls, who never stop smiling, for once again being my masters!
God bless you all.
by anouradha bakshi | Sep 4, 2018 | Anou's Blog
The past few days have not been the best. A series of irritants on the personal level resulted in the mood declining and the blues setting in. Mercifully, though I do not go to the Project Why as often as I did or would like to, I am treated every day to a host of pictures of activities at different centres courtesy a Whatsapp group!
One picture was enough to lift the mood instantly. It was taken on Raksha Bandhan day where sisters celebrate brothers with two of our oldest and dearest students of our very special section: Shalini and Anurag.
The special section has always had the ability to perk me up and give me my instant FeelGood shot and just seeing the picture of these two lovely souls was enough to set off all the happy hormones and to take me on a magic ride down memory lane.
by anouradha bakshi | Sep 4, 2018 | Whats new
Centre for Social Innovation-Ramanujan college and Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust – Project WHY signed MOU for promoting after-school education support to slum children, empowering women as well as for mutual exchange of information.
by anouradha bakshi | Sep 4, 2018 | Uncategorized, Whats new
Project WHY centres – Delhi and Dehradun – celebrate the Indian festival of Janmashtami today. Children dress up and play act as lord Krishna.
by anouradha bakshi | Aug 28, 2018 | Anou's Blog
“Part of being a person is about helping others” wrote Regis Murayi. We at Project Why believe in this maxim and try and teach compassion to our children at every step. Today, our children are busy garnering funds for the victims of the Kerala floods. For many, losing everything in a calamity is something they or their loved ones have experienced. Many of the families of our children came to Delhi after the devastating floods in Bihar some years back. And recently the families of our Yamuna children lost all their standing crops when the fields got flooded after torrential rains.
It takes a calamity to bring out compassion and it is heartwarming to see that people across the country are reaching out to their brethren in Kerala. I only wish compassion transcended calamities.
In 2004, when southern states were hit by a devastating tsunami, the children of Project WHY raised money to buy one motorised fishing boat for a village in Tamil Nadu. The boat was aptly named Project Why and brought help and support to many families. This time too, we hope to raise funds to bring some succour to the flood victims.
Compassion and gratitude are values that should be taught in homes and schools. Sadly that is not the case. Moral Study was taken off the school curriculum. I wonder why. Moral science should be part of the curriculum. It will help the child become a better person. We forget most of what we are taught in schools, but moral science would remain with us for a lifetime.
by anouradha bakshi | Aug 21, 2018 | Anou's Blog
Way back in the summer of 2000 when we were still wondering what direction Project Why would take, I use to spend long hours in the Giri Nagar slums interacting with children and their parents, and the one request I got from one and all was: teach us English! No wonder then that our first programme was spoken English classes for children and the ladies!
A command of English seems to make all the difference and open many doors. It is as if India is divided in two classes: those that can speak English and those that cannot. The number of English Medium schools that have mushroomed everywhere are ample proof of that.
We have been teaching English to our children from day one, and many of our alumni today speak good English. It has not been an easy task as finding good English teachers has been a challenge. But we soldier on.
I was surprised to stumble upon an article entitled Majority of India’s private English-medium school students can’t read English. A survey covering 20 000 children across many States showed disappointing results: The survey found that an alarming 10.9%, 12.8%, and 10% of students in grades four, five, and six, respectively, fell short of even the lowest level of reading skills, that merely involve retrieving explicitly stated information.
Reading ability is one of the major factor to success in higher studies and careers, and the results of this survey does not augur well for Indian students. Students who performed better were those who read at home for pleasure but this is a habit that is slowly disappearing. Reading for pleasure is a vanishing act.
Learning outcomes are not only determined by school but by a host of socio-economic factors like parents’ educational levels, household incomes etc., cultural contexts, and identities. This is a challenge in a country as diverse as India, a challenge that policy makers need address. Our education system is due for a total overhaul. Band aid and patch work solutions will not suffice.
Our education system is one where rote learning has taken precedence over all else. The class XII results of this year are ample proof of this sad reality. How else could a student obtain a perfect score in subjects like English, History, Sociology etc! Unless we remedy to this urgently it is good all rounder students who will start falling off the net as admission to good colleges is solely based on marks!
There is something terribly wrong in our eduction system. Is anyone listening.
by anouradha bakshi | Aug 14, 2018 | Anou's Blog
The past week has been hectic in all centres of Project Why! Every one is busy preparing for Independence Day. Decorations are being made, tricolour balloons blown, patriotic songs rehearsed, speeches learnt by heart, dance steps practised. A sense of perceptible excitement and joy pervades every nook and corner of Project Why.
On Independence Day, flags will be hoisted in each centre and the national Anthem sung with fervour. Then the children will perform all that has ben carefully prepared in front of guests teachers and friends. In that moment every one will be a star! And the dreams every heart carries will for an instant be in the realm of the possible. Celebrations do weave their own magic.
I too will be a guest at one of the centres as alas I cannot be at all, and will applaud the loudest. They are my children, all 1100 of them and seeing them in their best attire putting their best foot forward is always a matter of pride and joy. I also know that I will be moved to tears as I know I hold the dreams of all these children in custody and feel the weight of the huge responsibility I carry. Will I be able to fulfil all the promises, the hopes that all those who enter the portals of Project Why carry in their hearts. Only time will tell. All I know is that we will leave no stone unturned in this mission we have undertaken.
Amidst the celebrations and the joyful mood, there is also immense sadness in the wake of the reality that surrounds us. In 72 years have we done all that we could have for the children of India is a question that begs to be asked and sadly the answer is a deafening NO!
Children still beg at red lights. We see them every day. They still work in tea stalls and sweat shops. Millions of children are out of school, and hundreds of thousands drop out. Our education system is flawed, access to higher education is denied to too many. True there are laws in place, but many are toothless; true the Right to Education is now a fundamental Right but is not given to all.
Children die of malnutrition every day. 5000 a day in a land that throws away food with alacrity and impunity. What hurts me most is that we seem not to care.
It takes so little so make a difference. We at Project Why strive to do make that little difference and will strive to do so in the future. Do join us.
Happy Independence Day!
by anouradha bakshi | Aug 7, 2018 | Anou's Blog, Uncategorized
One of the greatest lessons I have learnt during the last two decades is that of survival with dignity and a smile. It has been not only a great eye opener but also taught me to review my own life in a whole new perspective. The art of survival with dignity lies in the ability to live in the now and feel abundant at all times. Over the years I have seen this many times in the generosity and kindness of those who have practically nothing but give with abandon and love. My respect for all hose I work with has grown in leaps and bounds.
The art of surviving with dignity and a smile rests in the ability to look for positives in the times of adversity. We were all privy to this last week when the Yamuna plains got flooded and all the people living on the banks of the river moved to higher grounds. This was the case with all the families of the children of our Yamuna centre. Though the water did not quite reach the centre, we closed it for a couple of days.
The floodplain was filled with water and all the vegetables growing on it were destroyed and hence the very livelihood of these families. But when you live hand to mouth, you cannot waste time on past ad future, you have to think in the now and so as soon as the water receded to waist height, children jumped in to catch fish! Some would be sold and the remaining would provide the next meal.
It is this spirit that I salute each and every time I encounter it, be it in the cup of tea and the flatbread shared offered by a gypsy family who does not know whether it will have a rood on its head the nest day orin the smile of the young boy looking to catch fish after the floods.
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 31, 2018 | Uncategorized
Three little girls, aged two, four and eight, died of hunger in India’s capital. Their autopsies found no trace of food in their stomachs. They had most likely gone without eating for more than a week. Their deaths shocked the nation, filled television screens for a few days, sparked the inevitable political blame game—and then, like so many tragedies before them, began to fade from public memory.
The three sisters made headlines because they died in Delhi. Yet every day, an estimated 5,000 children under the age of five die from causes linked to malnutrition. That is about 200 every hour—more than three every minute. I have written about this terrifying statistic for years, but numbers, however shocking, rarely stir us in the way that three little faces do.
I have been writing about this terrifying statistic for years now, but somehow it has never elicited the anger and outrage one would have expected. Perhaps that is because numbers, however shocking, remain just numbers—remote from our daily lives.
But Mansi, Shikha and Parul died in our very own city, a city where we throw food with impunity; a city where garbage cans are replete with perfectly edible fare; where food is thrown with alacrity at parties and religious festivals; a city where neighbours remain aloof; a city that seems to have lost its heart forever.
Will the deaths of these little girls go beyond the political slugfest and make us open not only our eyes but also our hearts? There are individuals and organisations across India who quietly feed the hungry with love and compassion. Their work reminds us that hunger is not inevitable. What is missing is not the capacity to act, but the collective will.
No one should die of starvation in any self respecting society, let alone a child. Even one child is one too many!
Will the deaths of these little girls go beyond the political slugfest and make us open not only our eyes but also our hearts? There are individuals and organisations across India who quietly feed the hungry with love and compassion. Their work reminds us that hunger is not inevitable. What is missing is not the capacity to act, but the collective will.
The three little girls were part of a migrant family. Their father had come to Delhi in search of work, hoping to build a better future. Like countless others who arrive in our cities every year, the family lived from one day’s wage to the next. They had no savings to fall back on and, often, no access to welfare schemes because they lacked the necessary documents. For families living on the edge, losing even a single day’s income can be the difference between survival and hunger.
Delhi is ‘home’ to thousands of homeless people, many of them migrants. Many find work and manage to survive, some like the family of the little girls slip through the cracks.
It is time, as individuals, as citizens and as a society, that we acknowledged this stark reality. Hunger is not someone else’s problem. It is ours. If we can open our hearts as readily as we open our wallets for celebrations, no child need go to bed hungry. Is that really asking too much?
Is this asking too much!
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 31, 2018 | Whats new
Our very own Project WHY student turned teacher, Aman, secured admission to the prestigious Delhi College of Art. Since 2014, he has been training to get admissions in the college. Project WHY has been supporting Aman in his pursuit for Art both emotionally and financially. We wish Aman all the very best.
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 31, 2018 | Whats new
Delhi Government on Friday(July 27) issued its first flood warning when water level in Yamuna started raising due to continuous heavy rainfall. Though our Project WHY Yamuna centre is on a higher plain, our staff have been keeping watch. We have moved all our learning materials and essential items. Today, the water is just a meter away from the centre. We have closed our centre indefinitely for the safety of the children. This would mean a break in their studies and access to a wholesome meal by Azure. We need all your prayers and support
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 24, 2018 | Anou's Blog
One of the inevitable consequence of moving forward, is that some have to step back. At Project Why the ‘axe’ fell first on yours truly. For the team to learn and gain not only the experience but also the confidence Anou Ma’am had to step back. So for the past two years or so, I have been cutting the umbilical cord gently but surely and boy it has worked: the project does not need my presence anymore, a far cry from the days where I sat doggedly from 8 to 4 to keep the show on the road. Now I visit the Project on a need basis: to welcome guests, hold a staff meeting and so on. So my contact is fractured, one centre at a time, often in the morning so I miss the girls.
We recently engaged two budding photographers, Taranbir Singh Sawhney and Devika Grover, to take pictures of all the centres and shifts of Project Why. Yesterday I was given a link allowing me to view the pictures and it was a real treat. The pictures are amazing and will soon appear on our site and social media for all to share.
I sat down to watch them in the evening not knowing what was in store. Through these 200 odd images, I could visit, albeit virtually, my entire Project! It was a heady mix of delight and nostalgia. The first common denominator of most of the pictures is SMILES! That warmed the cockles of my heart and filled me with pride as for Project Why was always to be a place where children could be happy and joyful. Mission accomplished. I give myself a tap of the back.
It was a pleasure browsing from picture to pictures and seeing the kids in a child friendly and safe environment. It was heart warming to see them enjoying what they were doing be it studying, playing, dancing and above all fooling around, something they often do not have the chance to do.
My heart filled with gratitude as I saw my stellar staff at work, braving the extreme heat, but not losing patience or smile. Once more I felt validated in my decision to take staff from the community. It was a challenge for both sides but I am glad to say, we met it head on and in perfection.
It was nice to see the ladies busy learning a skill that has the potential to transform their lives. Again a matter of pride.
Always a delight to see my very special ones. They never stop smiling and have the ability to lift your mood in a jiffy.
The babies always so endearing and it was truly special to see Rani’s son, tiny Astitva, as the youngest member of our early education programme. His mom’s story is also the story of Project Why.
I could go on and on about each picture as each has a story to tell. Maybe I will do so one day.
Revisiting Project Why was a huge treat. Thank you Taranbir and Devika for having captured its spirit.
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 23, 2018 | Whats new
With the summer holidays long over, all our kids are back to school.
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 23, 2018 | Uncategorized, Whats new
We are back with a bang on social media. Find us on Twitter Facebook Instagram!
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 18, 2018 | Anou's Blog
When Sumitra Devi retired after a lifetime of sweeping the streets, three distinguished guests came to honour her. One was a District Collector, another an engineer, and the third a doctor. They were her sons. Education had transformed not only their lives but the future of an entire family.
If education could transform the life of one street sweeper’s family so completely, why are thousands of children in India’s capital still being denied even the most basic conditions in which to learn?In Delhi, nearly 2,700 children attend a government school with only two dilapidated toilets, no drinking water, broken windows and a playground filled with garbage. Of the 91 teachers sanctioned, only a fraction are in place. The remaining teachers struggle heroically to keep the school running, sometimes even paying for light bulbs from their own pocket.
The Right to Education promised every child free and equitable education. For the 2,700 children in this school, that promise remains unfulfilled. A right is meaningful only when it is honoured in practice. For far too many children across India, it exists only on paper.
Their school has only two dilapidated toilets, no windows. a playground filled with water and garbage. The school runs on Government funding but in spite of that the conditions are pathetic. No money to change bulbs, no drinking water. Of the 91 teachers sanctioned, 72 have not been appointed. A bare 20 odd teachers keep the show on the road. Hats off to them. When a bulb needs changing they dip into their meagre pockets and do the needful.
The Right to Education promised every child free and equitable education. For the 2,700 children in this school, that promise remains unfulfilled. A right is meaningful only when it is honoured in practice. For far too many children across India, it exists only on paper.
Over the years, governments have launched a number of initiatives to help children from disadvantaged backgrounds continue their education. Some have made a real difference. Yet I have also watched far too many children fall through the cracks—not because they lacked ability or determination, but because their families did not know about a scheme, could not produce the required documents, or simply found the system too complicated to navigate. For children already living on the margins, opportunity often depends less on potential than on whether someone is there to help them find their way.
The Right to Education Act was meant to be a great leveller, ensuring that every child had access to quality education. I have always believed that education should bring children together rather than divide them. This is why I have supported the idea of a common school system, where children from different backgrounds study side by side and learn from each other. If our government schools could be transformed to the standard of institutions like the Central schools, it would change the lives and aspirations of millions of children. But for that to happen, mindsets must change. Are we ready for that?
Underprivileged children have once again been let down. They remain voiceless, needing those of us who have seen their struggles to speak on their behalf.
In the case of the school mentioned above, activists took up the matter and the High Court asked for a report. But this is not an isolated example. Far too many schools continue to function in unacceptable conditions. Even one such school is one too many.
Education alone can change lives and transform India.
I would like to end this post on a positive note by returning to the story of Sumitra Devi, a woman who spent her entire life sweeping the streets we walk on. At her retirement celebration, three special guests stood beside her: a District Collector, an engineer and a doctor.
They were her sons.
Her story is a reminder of what education can do. It does not merely provide a livelihood; it opens doors, changes destinies and gives children the chance to rise beyond the circumstances into which they were born.
I rest my case.
by anouradha bakshi | Jul 10, 2018 | Uncategorized
A recent article on the quality of persons correcting CBSE class XII papers sent my blood running cold. One must remember that marks are of the essence and that careers depend on the marks you get. A high score guarantees you a place in Delhi University a place affordable to project why parents but it is quasi impossible for our kids to get the coveted 95+%! Not being able to afford private universities they are relegated to evening colleges, correspondence courses and open universities.
One would have hoped that the marks given are honest and deserved but a sentence in the aforesaid article is enough to make one shudder: Examiners are picked by the CBSE, from schools, but many, especially those who teach in government schools, seem to be unequipped to grade. Some students don’t end up getting the marks they deserve, while the rote learners do well. This explains how a humanities student can get a perfect store in subjects like english or psychology. Just learn the book by heart and voilà you top the batch.
My hear goes out to the child who spends time understanding the subject and writing the answer in her own words. She does not stand a chance and yet she is the one who deserves a place in the hallowed portals of a good affordable university.
The article has other aberrations. It just makes me angry and sad at the same time.
Will things ever change?
