by anouradha bakshi | Jan 10, 2026 | Uncategorized, Whats new
Memories are the footprints we leave in the sands of time
For the past few days I have been travelling down memory lane and that for a very special reason. In 2015 if my memory serves me right I decided to write the Project Why story. It was time when the elephant in the room ie what happens to Project Why after I go, loomed large and we were looking at diverse options. I somehow intuitively felt that Project Why as I had seeded and nurtured would soon become a thing of the past. It would take on a whole new avatar as it had to be freed from the tender clutches of an ageing lady who had somewhat kept it hidden from the world. A whole new chapter had to be written. I had mixed feelings as every parent whose child is about to leave the nest.
It was also the time whenI realised that the project why story till then was in great part in my head. It was time that I put it on paper. So I began writing in earnest and must have written about 150 pages when a series of unforeseeable events hit me and turned my life on its head. The house that had been my haven after the death of my parents needed to be broken down as it was falling apart. Emptying the house was heart breaking and left me rudderless. That was also the time when I started getting pain in my bones. The next three years were difficult as the pains grew and nothing helped. We moved back in early 2020 to a sparkling new house but to me it felt soulless. The pains were now excruciating. In May 2020 I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, another shock and then underwent chemo. For a long time I found myself unable to read more so write, It was frustrating as writing had somewhat defined me in more ways than one. It would take five long years for me to pick up my virtual pen again and when I dd I felt alive!
Now picking up something you wrote a decade ago is not easy specially when you are dealing with what is called chemo brain. My memory was mush; I. needed an anchor.That is when I remembered the over 1500 blogs I had written and decided to visit them again. A herculean task to say the least but one that proved a heartwarming and incredible experience.
What I thought would be a tedious task turned out to be a wonderful journey down memory lane.When I had written those 1500 blogs it was always subsequent to some occurrence or the other, some good, some disturbing and some even infuriating. As I read through those posts I realised that they were in no ways a linear account of Project Why’s happenings but more a personal reflection of what came my. way and many a times they influenced our journey, made us make course corrections, take on new challenges and steer us on the right path. Just going through 500 posts showed me how amazing our journey has been, a journey one should be proud of. So I am now rearing to finish the Project Why story so that everyone can share this amazing India Song as I recall the footprints we have left on the sands of time.
PS: I rarely put my picture on a blog but decided to share an old snapshot of Utpal, Kiran and me just to remember the good old days!
by anouradha bakshi | Dec 27, 2025 | Whats new
On November 1st 2025 we celebrated our silver jubilee. Yes believe it or not we are 25
If it were left to me, I would have had a small celebration much in sync with who I am. Those who know me will understand what I mean. But that was not to be. MM our feisty and spirited Board Member felt that we should celebrate big. And big we did!
For many months Project Why was buzzing with activity. Plans were made, programmes finalised, committees formed, logistics worked out all under the able stewardship of Shamika and Kiran. Everyone at Project Why was roped in to give suggestions and ideas. The programme for the event was promptly finalized. It was felt by one and all that we should have a dance drama showcasing 25 years of transformation. The show had to be professional so a choreographer was engaged and rehearsals started in all centres in earnest. Side by side, all other arrangements were made: hall booked, transport organized, trophies ordered, refreshments ordered. All went by like a clockwork orange.
The 1st of November dawned and the excitement was palpable. I reached the venue well in advance and was gob smacked and amazed to see how grand everything was: the flowers, the banners, the backdrop, the stage and the staff fluttering about in identical saris and shirts. I was pleasantly taken aback as I had no incline of this. I must admit that I had been told to take a backseat and that I would be sought in case of need. Needless to say I never was. I was also touched by the big photograph of my parents in a corner of the stage a big brass oil lamp next to it waiting to be lit as it is because of what I learned at their knee that I was able to undertake this journey.
We started on time. The tiny ones enthralled everyone with their welcome song. Two short films about Project Why were projected. But the piece de resistance was the 30+ minutes dance drama showcasing our 25 years journey aptly entitled ‘Saathi’. It was impeccably performed by 93 children from all centres who in spite of having rehearsed together only twice, executed the dance as true professionals without a single mistake. The show was moving, to say the least, and there was not a dry eye in the audience. In case you would like to see the performance click here.
All those who made this amazing journey possible were felicitated: the Board Members, the sponsors of the event, the major donors, and of course the staff. I was surprised to see that there was even a trophy for me.
There were speeches of course and I was asked to give the welcome address. Standing on that big stage with friends, parents and alumni present, I felt elated and humbled. I simply decided to share a memory and a realization. Way back in 1998 when I decided to embark on this journey many tried to dissuade me with the more cynical ones saying “India is replete with so many problems, how can you make a difference?” and my answer simply was: ”If I can change one life, it will be worth it”. Standing on that stage and looking around me I realized I had changed many lives be it the one of the little toddler who accidently fell in a boiling wok and who today stands tall as he lives his dream of making films, to the four boys who have made it to the IIT beating all odds and who were felicitated as they received full scholarships from the Adish and Asha Jain Foundation. That was the memory. Now for the realization. It was simply that miracles happen as Project Why has been a string of miracles. Each time we felt we had reached rock bottom an Angel appeared and conjured a miracle. Angels do not wear wings, they look just like you and me.
2025 had its own share of miracles conjured by yet another Angel – a donor who turned mentor -. He helped us put our house in order as we were a haphazard mom and pop shop that would not survive the demise of the mom! He told us that if we were to survive in the long term then we had to make some big changes to be taken seriously though he also warned us that change can be painful.
Project Why 3.0 had arrived.
The first change was an organizational restructuring. Till date, having grown organically answering one disturbing why after the other, we were running two parallel entities. The fist change was to bring the two together and create three branches: Programmes, Administration and Finance and Communication and Marketing – thus bringing structure to the Project. As our mentor mentioned change is necessary to survive but also difficult. He was right. But things slowly fell into place and by the end of the year we were on track.
The main objective of Project Why 3.0 was to make our children ready for the rapidly changing employment scenario as just teaching the 3Rs was in no way sufficient.T o this end we made some changes to our programmes. It was decided to put emphasis on English and computers. Today all children from class I to XII are learning English every day and have computer classes thrice a week. This has been very successful and appreciated both by parents and children.
Our digital learning programme has picked up momentum with over 300 high resolution videos, of high school lessons uploaded from our state-of-the-art studio to our dedicated YouTube channel Project Why Online. At the close of the year, we had 3700 subscribers. We soon hope to upload all subjects for classes X and XII. Children have also gone on phygital mode thanks to the tablets donated by our generous donors
The other lacuna identified was the quasi lack of communication about our work. To address this, we decided to record stories of transformation on our YouTube Channel Project Why 2000. If you have the time and inclination, please visit our channel. To date over 59 stories have been uploaded. It would be heartwarming if you watched some.
Another groundbreaking project we initiated in 2025 was the talent profiling of 213 students done by ProMytheus. It was amazing how many hidden talents these children have, ranging from performing arts, finance, sports to teaching, art, cooking, healing and many more. Some students got exceptional scores. We intend finding ways of nurturing these talents through workshops led by specialists in each field.
Post Covid the number of children in classes I and II dropped drastically. To encourage small children and motivate their parents in sending the children to the Project, we initiated a nutrition programme. This gave excellent results as the enrolment in these classes increased substantially.
Some staff left and some joined but what was heartwarming was that our 4 IIT boys joined as teachers as for the first two years, their classes are in hybrid mode. They are doing a great job and are also engaged in recording classes for our digital learning platform.
Parents are stakeholders in the education of their children. This is not always the case in underprivileged families. A Parents Partnership Programme was initiated this year and has proven to be a success. Parents committees have been formed in every centre and these dynamic parents have become our ambassadors in the community.
Monsoon 2025 saw the flooding of the Yamuna River. Our Yamuna centre children were forced to leave their homes and camp outside on the road. Thanks to Kabir Suri and Azure Hospitality we were able to provide a hot meal to the families.
In 2025 we got a new big donor. Mr. Mahesh Navani is now supporting the 400+ children of our Khader and Yamuna centres. A new member, Mr. Solanki joined our Board this year.
The year ended on a somber note as terrible pollution hit the city with AQI readings reaching 500 and more. The city choked on this unbreathable air and we remained helpless in the wake of a why we could not answer as we were unable to protect the birthright of every child to clean air.
But all in all, 2025 was an amazing year, that saw the transformation of Project Why into a well- structured entity with a vison for the future.
My gratitude to the children, the team, the donors and my Board who have stood by me steadfastly and believed in my dreams. It is all because of you.
May 2026 bring its share of miracles.
And yes Project Why makes that little difference!
Happy New Year
Anou
by anouradha bakshi | Dec 24, 2025 | Whats new
The Project Why children are busy preparing their Xmas party. At Project Why we celebrate all festivals. That has been so since the very beginning.
Since my illness I have taken a back seat leaving the day-to-day running of the project to my stellar team. I keep abreast by looking at the Project Why WhatsApp group where teachers from all centres post images of the activities of the day. The last few days have been replete with activities linked to Xmas.
What ‘melted my heart’ was the snowman made by the Yamuna children. These are children who a few years back did not go to school and ran around the fields or helped their parents who grow vegetables on the banks of the Yamuna. I guess they celebrated some festivals but Xmas was alien to them. Thanks to Project Why their world opened up and they learnt about the culture of other lands and faith and today they have become pros who know about each festival in details. So come Xmas time drawings of Santa, stars, Xmas trees and bells are made with great alacrity amidst laughter and fun in true Xmas spirit.
This year, these children who have never seen or felt snow, made this absolutely heartwarming snowman that walked straight into my heart and melted it. I looked at it for a long time and memories flooded my mind. What an incredible 25 years journey it has been and how far we have come.
In a world replete with anger, aggression and divisiveness, Project Why was an island of peace and inclusiveness. No matter where you came from, what faith you followed and what beliefs you held, you were welcome in the Project Why family. All differences and worries were left at the door as you entered a place of joy and acceptance. This is for me is our greatest achievement.
And in this island of joy and laughter every child found the space to shine and bloom.
Today, seeing this wonderful snowman standing amidst the fields, I realised that I had achieved what I set out too. I knew in my heart that each and every child entering the hallowed gates of Project Why would not only become a better version of her/himself but would also be able to fulfil his/her dreams. And that is what Project Why is all about.
What a perfect Xmas gift.
I wish everyone who made this possible (my staff, children, parents, Board Members, donors, volunteers, supporters) a very Merry Xmas.
God bless you all!
by anouradha bakshi | Nov 10, 2025 | Whats new
A 25 years story/journey of transformation
Project WHY, the flagship education & skill development program of Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust, celebrated its SILVER JUBILEE on 1st November 2025 at Brijbushan Munjal Vedic Kendra. Dr. Dinesh Tyagi, a retired IAS officer, was the chief guest. He congratulated the team for the phenomenal work and inspired the organisation to scale up its community based model of after school education program and encourage digital learning & entrepreneurship.
Ms Anouradha Bakshi, the founder & CEO dedicated her life to the cause of social transformation through education. Her journey which started on roadsides with 40 children in 2000 to impacting over 10000 lives through five community based centres was presented, celebrated and honoured. Two films on Anou’s life with Project WHY, made by Genesis Media Pvt Ltd and Enfancess Indiennes, were screened and well received.
The four alumni of Project WHY who made it to IIT were honoured. Adish & Asha Jain of USA rewarded them by sponsoring their education.
The captivating music and dance performance by 98 students showcasing 25 years of purpose, overcoming challenges, realising dreams and creating a sustainable future touched every heart. National Anthem by students of special section was the climax of compassion, courage & determination. All the major donors, sponsors, board and the committed team were felicitated in recognition of their contribution and support.
The board members, supporters and well wishers of Project WHY from far and wide, along with the parents of our students joined us in celebrating this mile stone.
Sudhanshu Chabra, Adish & Asha Jain, Utsah Engineering, Azure Hospitality Pvt Ltd. , Enfances Indiennes were the platinum sponsors who made this event a reality.
by anouradha bakshi | Dec 3, 2024 | Whats new
The wait is over! On 22nd November, the inauguration of our digital studio, “Project WHY online” with the help of Adish and Asha Jain Foundation. It was very kind of them to offer us all the things we needed for our studio.
The online classes will allow us to give quality education across all our centres for our senior classes. Having classes online will allow our children to revise during exam time and also to remain in touch when they go to their village. This will also allow us to expand our reach as the classes are free and for anyone who may want to access them. We want every child from everywhere to get the benefit of education via this new mode of learning.
It was a very warm ribbon-cutting ceremony by our dear friend Mr. Xavier Ray, President of Enfances Indiennes. We want to thank him for making this opening even more special and memorable. So, please be part of our journey
by anouradha bakshi | Nov 27, 2024 | Whats new
Mr Adhish Jain and his wife Mrs Asha Jain support the Okhla center.
His grandniece Jiya and her parents and sister came to Okhla Center on 15th November 2024, with 300 doughnuts to distribute to the children and teachers. Jiya is going to open her home bakery and we were her first customers.
The children enjoyed her doughnuts and wanted more!!!
We wish Jiya success in the future
