It is not what you GATHER but what you SCATTER

It is not what you GATHER but what you SCATTER

by | Jan 18, 2026 | Uncategorized, Whats new

It is not what we GATHER but what we SCATTER, that tells what kind of life we have lived were the words on of the greatest athletes of our times began is speech at a red carpet gala function in Los Angeles in December 2025. He was to receive a life time achievement award. In a room. filled with unimaginable wealth he spoke with calm and intensity.

This is what he said: “We’re sitting here surrounded by comfort, success, and excess, while millions outside these walls are struggling just to survive. If you are blessed with influence and resources and choose not to act, then you are not neutral. You are complicit.” “Privilege is not something to enjoy privately. It’s a responsibility. When you have more than you need, it stops being just yours. Purpose must come before comfort.” “Legacy is not about titles or records,” he said. “It’s about how many lives you lift when no one is watching. Winning means nothing if it ends with you.”

Novak Djokovic announced that he will commit all future earnings from select endorsements, post-career projects, and a significant portion of his business ventures – estimated to exceed $160 million – toward global humanitarian efforts, including children’s education, access to healthcare, food security, and support for families living in extreme hardship.

The effect was immediate. The room fell silent. People were stunned, then everyone stood up and applauded with reverence.

I too was at first stunned when I read these words and then my heart filled with gratitude as here was a man who said what I had always felt at a gathering of the world’s most rich and famous. A chance I would never get’

Nevertheless I have been saying just that for the past 25 years to whoever is willing to listen notwithstanding the fact that many or actually most believed the it was an old woman rambling. I continued to walk the talk and over the past quarter of a century have reached out to thousands in need and will  continue to do so till my last breath. I will also pray that Djokovic’s words will resonate and open the hearts of many. It is all about seeing with your heart.

Thank you Novak Djokovic for restoring my faith in humanity and setting a standard. God bless you.

PS. We wrote to the Novak Djokovic foundation and were humbles and elated to receive a prompt reply promising that they would consider our appeal when they start reaching out to other countries. We wait with bated breath.

In the sands of time – an India song

In the sands of time – an India song

by | 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!

 

All Blogs

by | Jan 4, 2026 | Anou's Blog, Blog, manu, News, okhla, Post, project why, public, Stories, two indias, Uncategorized, utpal, Whats new, women centre

Deepawali spirit

Deepawali spirit

by | Oct 30, 2024 |

At all our Project WHY centres, the children are happily getting ready to welcome the festival by making decorations and painting diyas for their classrooms.

Every year, all our children make it a very serious activity in class. They also have fun and laughs and get a chance to be very creative.

Also, our Special Needs children, like every year have been seriously working in their vocational class, preparing diyas and other decorative items for their sales in CSKM and Azure Hospitality. This is a small way to make them learn independent job skills.

Blessed!

Blessed!

by | Feb 3, 2024 |

Many years ago I added a tag line to my email signature. It was : “I am busy being grateful”. This was because of the miracles big and small that came my way as Project Why and I embarked on am incredible journey that is still enfolding. The tag line sat quietly on my screen as we travelled on.

Last week I was reminded of these words written so long ago and realised that subconsciously they had remained as new and pertinent as when I first wrote them. Project Why could not be without the deep gratitude I felt at every instant.

So who am I grateful to? First and foremost to all those who have reached out and helped me, from the big donors who reach out and adopt a centre to the tiniest donation of a child’s pocket money to help the surgery of another child.

This year I feel blessed as we welcome all our major donors.

Last week Mr Trivedi and his daughter Shelly and son-in-law Andres celebrated Republic Day with us at the Yamuna centre. The Trivedi Family Foundation sponsors our Yamuna and Khader centres. Thanks to their generous support we are able to help over 400 children dream big! My heartfelt gratitude to this wonderful and compassionate family.

 

 

 

 

In February we welcome Adish and Asha Jain of the Asha and Adish Jain Foundation. They sponsor the Okhla centre; another 350 children. And that is not all. Adish Jain has committed to support Okhla as long as it exists. How can I not be eternally grateful.

And there is more. In February we welcome Kiran Frey and Pradeep Sethi and their daughter Nina from Chess without Borders. Thanks to them Meher who had suffered terrible burn injuries when only a few months old underwent restorative plastic surgery to enable her to get back the use of her hands and then went to boarding school to complete her education. Today she is preparing for entrance to medical school. More gratitude.

In March we await the visit of Hans Emde and his family from Project Why Germany. They have supported our work for more than a decade now. We are deeply grateful again. Few months ago we had the visit of Xavier Ray from Enfances Indiennes who have been with us for more than two decades and stood by us unwaveringly. Chapeau Bas!

We feel blessed that all our main funders visited or are visiting us this year.

My gratitude also goes to a very special being that I call the God of Small Beings. She/he has walked with me every step of this journey and never left my side. It is she who has ensured that we do not falter or miss a step and always guided us in the right direction. It is also this very special God who has woven one miracle after the other. I would like to share one.

In February 2003 a toddler fell into a boiling pan and sustained third degree burns. He would then go and to lose his dysfunctional family and be left all alone. It is this very special God who crafter a future for him. Little Utpal was healed, went on to complete his school and then college and is now in Mumbai living his dream: making serials.

This is only one of the many Project Why miracles.

So you now understand why I AM BUSY BEING GRATEFUL!

I feel blessed.

You reap what you sow

You reap what you sow

by | Jan 24, 2024 | ,

India’s ancient system of education and the New Education Policy talks about Panchkosha, the five dimensions of a child’s development. Education which fosters holistic development and goes beyond academics is what builds WHOLE child.

 

At project WHY we create a leaning environment which offers opportunity to every child, irrespective of their age, to identify/explore, develop and build their interests, skills and talents. We do not limit our work to after school academic education. We know that children will grow

 

Every Saturday is devoted to extra curricular activities. Children engage in activities of their choice.  Painting, drawing, dancing, singing, gardening, reading, board games, debates, discussions, theatre  are all  given equal importance. Building communication skills, learning social etiquettes, imbibing moral values is an integral part of our wholesome education.

 

All this is done against the wishes and desires of most of the parents. To them, education is about learning from school books  and getting good grades. We are still facing lot of opposition to the concept of holistic education. Not being discouraged, our team of educators have continued their efforts to facilitate holistic learning. WE DO WHAT WE STRONGLY BELIVE IN.

 

The result of Project WHY’s efforts is visible through the achievements of our children who have been regularly receiving acknowledgement for their performance in both academic and extra curricular.

 

From Okhla centre –

  1. Rozy class 8 students got 1st Position in her class and won certificate and shield from her school.
  2. Nagma class 8 students stood 1st in her class and won certificate and shield from her school.

 

  1. Vibha class 8 student 1st Position in her class class and won certificate and shield from her school.

 

  1. Nandini class 6th student won a tablet in school for her excellent academic performance.

 

  1. Saloni class 6th student won a tablet in school for her excellent academic performance.
  2. Sheela class 6th student won a tablet for her excellent academic performance in school.
  3. Vanshika class 6th student won 1st position in Essay writing Competition and got certificate and medal from her school.
  4. Kanchan class 7th student got 1st Position for her academic performance and won certificate from her school.

9.Riya class 7th student got 1st Position for her academic performance and won certificate from her school.

  1. Chanchal class 7th student got certificate for her amazing dance performance in her school.
  2. Deepak Kumar class 12th student got third position in Kabaddi game at zonal level inter school competition.

 

  1. Janvi class 7th students got certificate for her following all the schools rules and regulations.
  2. Aesha class 7th students got certificate for her following all the schools rules and regulations.
  3. Anjali class 9th students got certificate for her following all the schools rules and regulations.
  4. Roshani class 8th student won a tablet in NDDP organization for her excellent academic performance.
  5. Payal class 7th students won 3rd position in science toon competition and also got certificate for annual function decorationand Nepali Dance Performance in her school.

From Khadar Centre

  1. Himashu class 7th students won trophy and medal in drawing and dance competition

From GirinagarCentre

  1. Trisha class 2 student got 1st position in playing Carom board. Her school took her for the competition to  Thyagraj stadium of delhi.
  2. Harsh won 1st prize in Vedic math competition got certificate and won second prize in group singing competition.
  3. Ayush got 1st position in his class by scoring 85% in midterm examination.
  4. Sonali class 9t students won 3rd position in football match at zonal level of school.
  5. Sonia class 9th students won 3rd position in football match at zonal level of school.

 

A year gone by

A year gone by

by | Dec 31, 2023 |

2023 was a rewarding year as we finally emerged from the aftermath of the pandemic and could proudly say that we were back to pre covid times. The children had made up for the losses incurred during the pandemic and were back on track! Classes were once again full and he chatter and  laughter of the children filled every corner of the centres as well as the recesses of our heart. It was pure unadulterated pleasure. So this year I decided that my message will be a bird’s eye view of the year gone by so that each one of you can get a taste of Project Why.

Let us begin with academics. The year saw classed filled to the brim and little and not so little heads studiously bent over open books or listening with bated breath to what the teachers were saying. This year teachers went outside the box and came up with new teaching methods. There was a lot of practical teaching and children learnt how to identify chemicals and other scientific experiments. Visual learning was another tool teachers used with the help of movies and the Internet. Debates and quizzes were organised every month to help the children deepen their knowledge. Outings to local parks helped the children learn about nature and were excellent prompts for drawing and painting. June 10th was a special day as it saw the reopening of our early education programme that we had to close because of the pandemic. We were all thrilled to see our tiny tots back and once gain hear their laughter and giggles.

Of course regular reading and writing practice were a daily routine and assessments were held every quarter. Remedial measures were taken when needed. Children performed well in their respective schools and did us proud as they always do. All board examinations were cleared with success with many children doing exceedingly well. Everyone got promoted to the next class. PTMs were conducted across all centres to ensure that parents become part of their children’s learning journey.

But is was not all studies. This year we could finally resume our educational outings and the children visited India Gate, Doll Museum, Bharat Darshan Park, Bal Bhawan, Railway Museum, Waste of Wonder and Children’s Park. They all had a great time. In-house creative  pursuits were the order of the day. The children learnt how to make decorative items with waste material. They also tried their hands at wall paintings,cloth painting and spray painting and unleashed their creativity.

A summer camp was organised in all centres and the children had great fun. They engaged in indoor and outdoor games, learnt fireless cooking and partook in a host of creative activities. They of course completed their holiday homework.

At Project Why we celebrate all festivals and commemorative days: New Year, Diwali, Xmas, Republic Day, Women’s Day. Word Health Day, World Environment Day to name a few. Children make drawings, write slogans and essays and engage in spirited debates, These celebrations help children increase their knowledge in a fun way. The special needs children made Rakhis and Diyas and sold them at Azure Hospitality and CSKM school.

Several workshops were organised. Dr Gulabani led a 16 days workshop to help teachers deal with children who have problems and difficulties in learning. This was a very successful initiative held over 16 Saturdays. Modicare Foundation held its yearly workshop on teen and adolescent issues and ETPA Foundation held story telling activities. These workshops are very useful and a good way to network.

It was also a year of repair and maintenance. We repaired the roofs of Khader and Yamuna as they had been severely damaged by rain, built a much needed toilet in Okhla and built a classroom in Giri Nagar. This was thanks to the generosity of our supporters.

But it was not all fun. 2023 had its sombre moments too. We lost a student from Okhla in a road accident and severe floods damaged our Yamuna centre and the homes of all our kids. Many reached out to help. The Rotary Club gave tents and sleeping bags and Azure Hospitality provided hot lunches to over 150 persons during 10 days, Avantika led a blanket drive that yielded or 650 blankets that were distributed before the cold set in. Clothes too were collected and distributed. We are grateful to each and everyone who reached to to help the flood victims.

Teachers had their fun time too. A day visit to Agra was organised with the support of Enfances Indiennes and was enjoyed by one and all. The staff of all centres visited the Yamuna centre had lunch with the children and engaged in a lot of fun activities with them. Teachers visited CSKM school and shared their ideas and teaching methods. It was rewarding experience. And finally they enjoyed a picnic lunch with Xavier Ray at the Nehru Park.

This year saw many visitors. Mr Ashok Trivedi, Mrs Anju Trivedi and Ms Shelly Trivedi were chief guests at our Republic Day function at Khader. Mr Trivedi hoisted the national flag and addressed the children. Mr Trivedi also visited the Yamuna centre and shared lunch with the children. Mr Adish Jain and Mrs Asha Jain visited the Okhla centre interacted with teachers and a few students and had lunch with the staff. Mr Jain has adopted the Okhla centre ‘forever’!

A group from Enfances Indiennes led by its President Xavier Ray and Hans Emde President of Project Why Germany also visited us this year. They spent quality time with the children and shared lunch with them.

We were really blessed to have many of our main funders visit us this year and very proud of showcasing our work to them.

This was a short glimpse of 2023, a year when things fell back in place after the dreaded pandemic.

I would like to thank all our supporters as well as my incredible team and terrific board without whom none of this would be possible.

We look forward to 2024 and all the miracles that will unfold.

Happy 2024

Love

Anou

Another rite of passage

Another rite of passage

by | Dec 8, 2023 |

I am just back suitcase shopping. Not for me though! I do not travel.

Come Monday Utpal will board a train and leave for Mumbai to fulfil his dream of working in the movies. The stage is set for him as Mrinal and Abhigyan wait for the shooting of their next serial. My mind goes back to 2006 when I had gone suitcase shopping for him as he was going to boarding school. He was 4. We bought a little red bag and filled it not just with the things on the list given to us by the school, but also with a plethora of dreams yet to be revealed and fulfilled. Today one of these comes true.

Over the past years as he moved from class to class we packed many suitcases for him never forgetting to tuck in the yet unfulfilled dreams.

If his going to school the first time was a rite of passage for the two of us, today as he moves into the adult world is yet another one we both have to go through.

I remember when he left for school the first time, I wept like a baby, a mix of feelings gushing through my mind, and my heart being ripped wide open. Was I doing the right thing in sending such a tiny tot to a big boarding school. The mind jumped in to quell the heart: it was for his good; education was what would make the dreams come true.

The primary years ended and we moved to secondary school, then the final examination and results. School days were over. Then came college in another city a few hundred kilometres from here. His BA in hand, Utpal came to Delhi for his internship and then secured a job in a digital media start up. But that was not in the dream box.

I was happy having him at home, seeing him every day. It was comforting but as I said not part of the dream. I was quite happy the way things were but not the God of small things to whom all dreams were entrusted. He had to make them come true. So the universe conspired to make things happen and they did at lightning speed: a phone call or two and before we knew it Utpal had a job offer and even a place to stay for the initial days. It was time to go.

The last few days have been busy shopping, packing, cooking special treats. No one is saying anything. Each quietly counting the days till the suitcases are ready to move and our little Utpal with them.

The coming  days will be hard. Keeping a brave face is hard. The half packed suitcase in the room stares at me and I feel my throat constrict and my eyes well up.And I am not the only one. Though no one says anything. There are so many things I want to say but can’t. I find myself patting his cheek or giving him a furtive hug and walking away.

I know I have to let him go as that is the only way he will be able to find his wings and fly and let him go I will as there is no other option. I know that when it is time to leave the house, I will send him off with a smile and the right words but I also know that when the car is gone and one has stopped waving goodbye, I will break down and weep.

But suitcases with dreams have a destiny to fulfil.

I will simply pray everyday to the God of small things to take care of my darling child and walk with him always.

So help me God

So help me God

by | Nov 26, 2023 |

Since July 2020 when I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma I have been compelled to stay away from my beloved Project as I was immuno compromised and that mixed with the Covid pandemic was a heady toxic cocktail. Over the past three years I have been to the project a handful of times. However I keep in close touch with the Project thanks to the innumerable pictures posted every day in the famous Project Why WhatsApp group.

Pictures of children studying diligently, of children playing, singing, dancing, painting with fervour, of visitors dropping by, Pictures of the meals at the Yamuna centre; pictures of celebrations. Sometimes children are prompted to share their thoughts and dreams as was the case recently when a group of children were asked what they want to be when they grow up. The answers were heartwarming: engineer, teacher, IAS officer, police officer, bank manager and even artist. The list is endless, the dreams are big for only if you dream big can you aspire to see your dreams come true.

We at Project Why strive to give wings to all these little big dreams and hope to make as many as we can come true. And we have seen many come true over the last two decades.

When I see the pictures of these children holding their dreams for all to see my heart fills with joy, my eyes go moist and my throat constricts. I feel blessed but also overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task but nowhere ready to give up.

Over the past two decades I have felt the presence of a very special God, the God of lesser beings as I chose to call him or her! This very special God has helped me at every stage and brought so many miracles in our lives. It is to this God that I pray everyday to give me the strength to soldier on no matter what.

Soldier on I will.

So help me God.

I want to be….

I want to be….

by | Nov 26, 2023 |

Asked them what they want to be and pat come he answers: a teacher, a police officer, an engineer, a bank manager, an IAS officer and even an artist! So many dreams tucked away safely in the little heads of our children.

I always urged them to dream big, to dream of what may seem impossible knowing that dreams are answered as there is a God for he lesser bings, a God that listens.

We at Project Why strive to keep these dreams alive, So help us God

 

Welcome back Xavier Sir

Welcome back Xavier Sir

by | Nov 22, 2023 |

Our dearest friend and President of Enfances Indiennes is back for a visit. Today he spent quality tie with our special needs children. Shalini and Munna  were thrilled to see their very special friend.

Xavier will be with us for a week and will spend time at all our centres,

Welcome back dearest Xavier Sir!

Very very special diyas

Very very special diyas

by | Nov 8, 2023 |

It is Diwali time and once again our very special souls created some beautiful divas for sale. Last week a sale was organised at CSKM school and Azure Hospitality.

In spite of the terrible pollution and primary schools being closed, We had quite a crowd at the CSKM sale as the boarders were there. The primary children came first and bought divas and earthen painted piggy banks adorned with popular cartoon characters. Soon the display table was almost empty and order books came out. The sale of the day was over 10K with 10K worth of orders, We were over the moon.

As always and as part of the vocational training we try and have students participate in such events and this time it was Shalini who went to CSKM and Anurag to Azure Hospitality. They were stellar and a huge help and enjoyed themselves too.

 

Way to go!

Way to go!

by | May 16, 2023 |

The class X and XII results were declared this week. ALL our students from all our centres have passed with respectable marks. We are so proud of them. We wish class XII all the best in their future endeavours.

 

 

 

A year gone by

A year gone by

by | Jan 3, 2023 |

2022 turned out to be a rewarding year after many months spent wondering how we would carry on. The pandemic had been a huge blow though we managed to stay the course even on choppy seas. Thanks to all our well-wishers, friends and supporters who never stopped believing in us, we continued our work in spite of all the challenges, with Project Why looking a far cry from the vibrant space it was packed with children and replete with smiles and laughter. The small masked groups of children sitting far from each other, the sanitization between each class, the online classes for the few who had the resources to take them, in no way reflected the spirit of Project Why. To say the least, these were sad times.

But the clouds lifted slowly in the beginning of 2022 and by April 2022 we were almost back on course. At the end of 2022 classes were again jam packed with long waiting lists! But the pandemic had taken its toll on the education graph of our children. Two long years without proper studies, when children got promoted without any teaching having been done. Suddenly a student who was in class VI in 2020 was now in class VII! Needless to say, she was completely lost. It was a huge challenge for our teachers but Project Why teachers are one of a kind and took on the challenge head on. A lot of planning had to be done, but in no time new methods of teaching were adopted, new groups made according to the level of the children and work began in earnest. By the end of 2022, the teachers were pleased to see that most of the gaps had been bridged and were confident that the remaining would be by the close of the academic year in March 2022.

By the end of 2022, the Project Why family was back to its strength of 1200 and we were all happy and relieved. It was not all studies. We resumed our fun activities too. The children went for outings to different places: the crafts museum, the rail museum, the garden of five senses and the Red Fort. On children’s day 45 children were treated to lunch by Azure Hospitality at several outlets of their Dhaba restaurant chain. It was a unique experience. The staff were treated to a day long outing at Pratapgarh Farms courtesy Enfances Indiennes. A wonderful day of fun and bonding.

As always, the children did us proud. Everyone passed their school and Board examinations and two of our students from Okhla got into Delhi University cracking the new All India Entrance Examination. This motivated us to look at beyond class XII. We decided to begin career counselling and also started Spoken English classes and coaching for competitive examinations for Government jobs. These classes are taken by a Project Why alumni and are open to Project Why alumni and the community. The classes are free of cost.

We celebrated all festivals with fervor and fun. The children sang and danced, made posters and wrote slogans and sweets were distributed to all. 2022 was also the return of our volunteers, with Felix, a young volunteer from Germany spending six weeks at the Yamuna centre. We are expecting more volunteers in the coming year.

It was a year when the Gods were kind to us.

In January 2022 we were in a precarious situation on the funding issue. Things looked gloomy as we were short of funds and did not know where to go. But then the Universe sprung into action. The better half introduced us to the Trivedi Foundation who generously accepted to support the Khader and Yamuna centres for a year. Meenal Madhukar, one of our board members brought Mr. Adish Jain into the picture. He and his wife Asha visited the Okhla centre and decided to adopt it for ‘as long as it existed’! That was a huge moment for us. Another board member introduced us to Avantika Chopra who decided to help us full on. She led a crowdfunding initiative with the Fuel-a-Dream platform and managed to raise over 24 lacs. She also helped us increase our visibility in India something we were always wanting to do. She brought in the Max India Foundation who decided to adopt our Giri Nagar centre. We have now inducted Avantika to our Board as an Advisor.

Our regular donors continued their unstinted and generous support be it Enfances Indiennes, Project Why UK or Asha for Education. And to our utmost delight Project Why Germany came back after a short break during the pandemic. We are grateful to each and everyone of them. Their valued contributions allowed us to fill in the gaps and at times undertake much needed repairs. They are the ones who have allowed us to continue our work for over two decades now.

We hope that the Trivedi Foundation and the Max India Foundation will continue their support in 2023.

We will continue to work towards sustainability as only then can I be sure that Project Why will live beyond me. With each passing day my team is taking on more responsibilities and is now communicating with donors. I wait with bated breath for the day I become redundant.

We move into 2023 with renewed fervor and faith.

My eternal gratitude to my team, my Board and all our donors, well-wishers and supporters who stay the course. Without them Project Why would not exist.

Miracles are again waiting to happen in 2023.

Budding poets of Project Why

Budding poets of Project Why

by | Nov 12, 2022 |

Dipika Mukherjee, a well known writer from Chicago was in India recently. She was kind enough to find the time and run a small poetry workshop for the children of our Giri Nagar centre. The children were a little perplexed at first but Dipika soon broke the ice by asking them a simple question: what are you scared of?

The children were hesitant at first but came up with answers in no time: dogs, lizards, snakes, ghosts, the Sanskrit teacher, mom and dad and son, each answer greeted with peals of laughter.

In no time the children were comfortable and Dipika steered them gently into the world of poetry. We were amazed to read what some of the children wrote!

We thank Dipika for giving our children this wonderful opportunity and unleashing the creative juices of these amazing kids.

This is what Dipika wrote about her experience:

Spent a magical afternoon at Project WHY, teaching a poetry workshop. Project Why provides after school remedial education to over 1200 underprivileged children through its five South Delhi centres, located in different slum areas, and the children were an absolute delight, speaking poetry in English and Hindi and drawing pictures when words failed them.

Sports at the Yamuna centre

Sports at the Yamuna centre

by | Nov 12, 2022 |

The Yamuna centre children had their very first sports ‘day’ with different and fun games. They really had great fun as this was something new for them. We hope that we can do more sports activities and maybe even organize a real  Sports Day event in the center.

The sewing circle of Govindpuri

The sewing circle of Govindpuri

by | Aug 13, 2022 |

Project Why provides after school remedial education to over 1200 underpriveleged children through its five South Delhi centres, located in different slum areas. Project Why also works with women from within the same slum communities to provide them with skills to make them financially independent. With this aim in mind, a sewing unit was inaugurated for women in the Govindpuri Slum Area on May 16,2022 with just twenty women. In this centre, women are being taught basic sewing skills, embroidery, hemming and frock design. The strength of the class has grown to fifty ever since. To begin with, the women are offered a six month basic training course, free of cost and have the option of extending it to a year for advanced training. At the end of the course, these women are given a certificate for their qualification. Our sewing teachers are all qualified in sewing and design training.

Call the fire brigade!

Call the fire brigade!

by | Aug 1, 2022 |

On Saturday, our Giri Nagar Primary students from classes 4th to 6th went for an outing to the Nehru Place Fire Station. There they saw Fire engines, and were told basic knowledge of what happens in the station and how every thing works and also had a ride in the truck. Soon, we would like to take our secondary children also to the Fire station, they will enjoy and understand more.

what’s new Bon appétit!

what’s new
Bon appétit!

by | May 12, 2022 |

After a long break of more than two years lunches have resumed at Yamuna centre much to he delight of the children and their parents. These scrumptious lunches are provided by Azure hospitality a staunch supporter of Project Why. Thank you Kabir for this wonderful gift.

On the menu: dal, potato and peas curry, rotis and rice!

Bon appetit!

what’s new They are back

what’s new
They are back

by | May 12, 2022 |

After more than two years Project Why welcomed four volunteers from France. Tancrede, Ahmed, Candide and Cyril belong to the prestigious business school ESSEC in France. Their association Sari has been sending us volunteers for many years. We are delighted to welcome them to Project Why and hope they will have a meaningful stay.

Anou’s blog I am busy being grateful

Anou’s blog
I am busy being grateful

by | May 11, 2022 |

I have a lot to be grateful for! We survived the pandemic almost unscathed. Thanks to our die hard supporters we were able to ride the storm and find our way back to days gone by after two years of uncertainty.

Schools have now reopened and we are inching back to a new normal. The children are back and the centres are once again humming with activity. The sound of children laughing albeit behind masks is nothing short of heart warming. New patterns have emerged with smaller groups and longer hours but that is a small price to pay. Everyone is thrilled and ready to go.

The gods too are smiling and showering us with their choicest blessings. After years of a hand to mouth existence, where every end of month found me gnawing at my nails wondering how we would meet the expenses of yet another month, we finally were able to secure some long term funding. Two of our centres, namely Khader and Yamuna were adopted for at least a year and Okhla was adopted for as long as it would exist. And to crown it all, a crowdfunding initiative yielded far more than anticipated. Our long term funders continue to be by our side. We can breathe easy, at least for some time. This is a first for Project Why. I am enjoying every minute, at least for the time being. I know that the search for funds will have to resume and we are ready for that when the time comes.

But today I want to express my gratitude to those who ensured that this year will be an easy one. Khader and Yamuna was adopted by the Trivedi Foundation thanks to the unrelenting efforts of my life partner. Okhla was adopted by the Jain Foundation thanks to our dear board member Meenal and the fundraising effort was made possible by the dynamism and never say die attitude of Avantika and her band of friends. To all of them I say ‘Chapeau Bas’!

We may have to face another upheaval as Delhi schools may shift to a single shift mode thus making our present model of boys in the morning and girls in the afternoon redundant. Children will only be free post lunch and the team is busy working out a new pattern. We may have to change timings and run the centres till late evening. But we are ready for that too.

We will also have to find new activities for the mornings where the centres, barring Yamuna, will be empty. Many ideas are being mooted: sewing classes, spoken English classes, adult literacy classes etc. This will take a little time to set up but I am sure that by the end of the summer vacation we will be ready to go.

New and exciting times await us and I am looking forward to them.

For now I am simply busy being grateful.

 

 

What a year it has been!

What a year it has been!

by | 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

 

You melt my heart – Merry Xmas

You melt my heart – Merry Xmas

by | 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!

We are 25!

We are 25!

by | 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.