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Education is not a demand its a right.

Education. Poverty. Slums Walks in Delhi. Volunteers,Vocational centers for womens in slums,Responsible tourism,Book through peteforindiatravel for all walks and tours

For volunteering- interested candidates can use the link.

Words are not enough

It was amazing to experience a journey of how people live in slums.They face so many problems, malnourished, destitute yet able to smile which was both a rewarding and humbling experience which I shall never forget, they don’t have that luxurious live, they hardly have any electricity, water or good cloths to wear. I'm still living in the memories of my time there because in this experience I learned of the heart and kindness. From the moment I entered the slums, I was welcomed, warmly. Children ran up to me smiling and started asking me to click pictures, those cute little faces are unforgettable. Home owners graciously invited me into their small spaces to have tea with them. A family showed their talent of puppet show and I was completely entertained by that. I lost track of time as I was busy witnessing the community in existence. It is amazing, how these individuals craft their talents and make use of their time, and then freely offer them to a stranger, such as me, who comes with nothing but curiosity and interest in their lives. At least once, one should take this walk with PETE for an unforgettable experience.

Volunteer accommodation

PETE offer the following accommodation for volunteers:

In Delhi

Shared volunteer flat with western toilet and shower

Kitchen with water filter (if you want to cook your own food)

Bed linen provided

Laptop and Wi-Fi available

Safe residential location in local market place

Close to the centre of the city

If you would like to volunteer and help us with our valuable work please contact us using the details below. You can volunteer from 1 day to 6 months, whatever time you can offer. We look forward to hearing from you!

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: +919811105601 / +918447517797 / +919871151431

Volunteering

The opportunities for volunteering here are many and meaningful; PETE is a group of people just like you. They are parents, grandparents, doctors, students and other people from the community. We encourage and invite volunteers to be an active part of our organization and share the same vision and purpose as us – to work for the welfare of children and their families. Volunteers are the backbone of every organization – they not only carry the organization’s ideals within them, but also spread the message far and beyond, sensitizing the society towards the cause. We need good and cooperative volunteers for our schools who can help children in learning good values and those who can stick to our rules and do their work sincerely and effectively. We need to spread the word so that we can generate funds for PETE and can help these little ones for their better future.

The Journey Inside

What do you immediately think of when you hear the word ‘slum’?

Really think about it for a minute. Do you think of poverty? Poor sanitation? Of people living in desperation and misery? I’m ashamed to admit that before my visit to the Kathputali Colony a slum in New Delhi, this is exactly what I pictured.

Define and conquer

A good place to start is to actually define the word ‘slum’. Officially the term for a piece of land which is owned by the government and illegally inhabited by the city’s residents, the Kathputli Colony is one of the hundreds in Delhi. It a colony of street performers in Shadipur Depot area of Delhi. For the last 50 years, it is home to some 2,800 families of magicians, snake charmers, acrobats, singers, dancers, actors, traditional healers and musicians and especially puppeteers or Kathputli-performers from Rajasthan. This makes it world’s largest community of street performers.

Touring responsibly

I took a tour around Kathputali Colony with Mrs. Laxmi Balotia , a volunteer at Providing Education to Everyone(PETE) who are an non-profit organisation there mission is to provide education to everyone. They work for the children living in Kathputali Colony by proving Education and Healthcare. PETE is one of the organisation guiding tour through slum areas, and employing local people as guides and volunteers.

PETE is specializing in improving life for the people residing within the slum. Through the money raised through providing these tours, children and young adults receive free education and training to help them secure jobs in the legal areas of the city.

80% of the profits from the 750 rupee tour fee go directly back into improving life for the people here. It is not advised for Everyone to enter into the slums without a guide, as the probability of getting lost is probably close to 100% once you start winding into the back streets.

Step inside

Walking into the boundaries of Kathputali Colony I realized how busy this area is, everybody was into their work. Small children came running towards my guide for candies and asking me to click there pictures as they saw DSLR in my hand. They were so happy with that one click. Journeying further into the slum, my guide started with the history of the area and told me about the people living there. She also explained how people here make their living, how they generate income.

A hive of Artistic Culture

Branching left off of the main street, we entered the next area of Slum. Luxmi ji told me about the distributed areas of the Slum, out of 3,000 total population 1,000 are from Rajasthan. People living here speak around 11 languages. Moving forward she introduced me to Mr. Khan who is a professional singer and has not only shown his talent in India but in other countries also, like Dubai, Germany and Russia. He is singing from past 30 years, it’s there family business which is gifted from this ancestors. Then while continuing my journey I met with many talented people who are the puppet maker’s, singers, drummer’s, dancers and magicians. All these people have seasonal work.

How the people live

Working our way from one area we moved to other, electrical wiring hung at head (and sometimes neck) height, broken water pipes out of which only some are working. Garbage spilled outside the houses and each house typically has one room of around 10 square meters of space, and usually sleeps around 8 people. Some were full of people playing games, watching television or sleeping to escape the stifling midday heat. Others were bare and open, with no sign of life and a few basic belongings on display. Compared to western standards. Basically the streets were dirty yet people were happy.Contrary to popular belief, the slum does have a water sanitation system, and although very basic, provides clean water for the million residents and others have to travel half half hour to get water. From shared taps. The government provides this water along with electricity and education for the slum’s children, despite it not recognizing Kathputali Colony as an ‘official’ residential are on.

Is it worth the trip?

Before my slum experience, I had very limited knowledge of how they actually worked. I had seen what I believed to be slums at roadsides throughout New Delhi, but had not considered that ‘slums’ can take on many forms.

I was pleasantly surprised that the people there had such an extensive setup for industry, and although it makes me uncomfortable to know how little these people are earning, it is good to see that people seem happy here. They have access to water, electricity, education and even amazing 3G connection, which people here are crazy about!

The experience was a positive one, and I came away feeling as though I had an honest view of how people live. It’s not in squalor and desperation, and although there will no doubt be hard times ahead for kathputali Colony, the spirit of its people will always overcome.

If you are considering a visit to the kathputali Colony slum, I would definitely recommend

Providing Education to Everyone (PETE) for a safe, educational and inspiring trip.

Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. “Nelson Mandela”

This is true that education is the most powerful weapon but in India still majority lives in villages and so the topic of rural education is very importance. Most people living in slums have understood the importance of education and know that it is the only way to get rid of poverty. But due to lack of money they are not able to send their children to private schools and hence depend upon government schools for education. Government schools exist, but when compared to private schools then quality is a major issue. Quality and access to education is the major concern in rural schools as there are fewer committed teachers, lack of proper text books and learning material in the schools. Above that, in some of the government schools there is only one teacher for the entire school and if they don’t show up at work, then it is a holiday. If the quality along with number of teachers and, that too committed teachers can be improved in these schools, then aspiring rural children and India can fulfill their dreams of doing something great in the field of education.

The Unforgettable Experience: Slum Walk

Slum Walk is taking small group of people and witness the colorful life inside the slum. The aim of the walk is not to "visit", nor make poverty a "tourist tour", but to meet people and exchange experiences and difficulties they face by living there and having a tea and chatting. A walk in the slums is much more than a walk; it is an exchange and a first step towards awareness.

As per my experience I would recommend Providing Education to Everyone (PETE) which is a non for profit organisation, they provide a slum walk in Kathputali colony, which is respectful and safe. Through that one can experience the lives of these people living there and also allows slum dwellers to interact about their daily life. You'll meet the smiling children and women in PETE schools and experience this often unseen side of Delhi.

There are so many talented people living there. Some are Kalbeliya dancers, singers, tattoo artists and off course the kathputali makers. All these talented people have not only showed their talent in Indian but also in other countries like Dubai, Russia and Muscat.

PETE provide you with options for your slum walks:

1. Shared Slum Walk

When: Everyday (7 days a week)

Duration: 2 hours per walk

Min. Donation: 750 rupees per person (When only one person is registered for this walk there is a minimum donation request for 1300 rs ) Started Promotional offer 6/11/2014

Group Size: 2-6 people per walk (If you are more than 6 people, please contact us!)

Timing: 10:30 am or 1:30 pm

Pickup Point Location: Shadipur Metro Station,blue line, Outside Exit Gate No. 2 (Reservation needed, you can still do it on the same day!)

2. Private Slum Walk

When: You may decide!

Duration: 2 to 3 hours per walk

Min. Donation: Rs. 3250 (no matter if only one or five guests)

Group Size: up to 5 People

Timing: Your choice

Pickup Point Location: Your choice (You'll have to book the tour at least 1 day in advance.)

Same day queries call emergency no-9717352939

Our guide will assist you according to your location to the Slums by Metro / Tuk-Tuk / Pick up and drop off by car (Extra charge ranging from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 2000 maximum in Delhi/Gurgaon)

The Great Artists hub – kathputali Colony

Kathputli Colony –The slum houses close to 3500 families including acrobat, magician, puppeteer, singer, dancer and musician communities. They’re active artists who have been bringing the streets alive with their art for over five decades.

Spend a day here, and you’ll get to discover the rustic charm of traditional art forms, practiced right here in the Capital. Think blanking acts by women during a Bhawai Dance performance, a typical Rajasthani show, a Kachi Ghodi dance, all complete with costumes, make-up, and meticulously detailed props.

These artists are ambassadors of Indian culture who perform at international events, and accompany our diplomats and bureaucrats across seas. Aziz Khan, whose rope trick made it to the Guinness Book of World Record in 1995, said that this art is their lifestyle and their identity. Kathputli colony is trying to hold on to these disappearing symbols of our culture and heritage that once adorned the courtyards of our erstwhile Royals.The next time you spot an aerial view of colours among dilapidated huts and shanty conditions from the metro, between Shadipur and Kirti Nagar station, you can be sure you’re looking at Kathputli.

This neighbourhood now, however, is a victim of urbanisation; The DDA has sold the Kathputli land to a private estate developer to construct a mall and high rise apartments, as part of the apparent ‘Delhi Makeover Drive,’ which has sent the inhabitants into a tizzy. Questions like where will the 30 ft. high puppets be stored, or 80kg heavy drums be kept, and where can they practice their art without disturbing and getting disturbed plague every individual.

Mobile Classrooms Set Up in the Slums of India’s Largest Cities

For children in massive cities, access to education is dependent on mobility. India’s families living in marginal areas or fringe settlements face cultural, economic and geographic barriers that prevent kids from attending school regularly. School-aged children living in poverty may not have the time or energy to physically get to school.

Slum dwellers and squatters lack other necessities such as clean water, rights to property and land, sewage systems, and birth certificates. Empowering youth through education is widely recognized as a significant step in improving the quality of life of slum dwellers. The United Nations says that nearly a third of the 3.5 billion people living in cities live in slums. Migration and forced displacement as a result of environmental disaster, conflict or the search for economic opportunities continue to drive the expansion of cities worldwide.

So in cities across India – Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Goa – there are now mobile bus classrooms, developed by NGOs and the Indian government. The schools-on-wheels travel to students during hours that suit their lifestyle and demands for work. Often the classes take place during the day, but in one slum of Mumbai, classes occur in the evening when youth come home from work on fishing piers.

In Delhi, as well, there are some interesting models. As of September 2009, according to an article in the BBC, 5,000 more children had access to education as part of a Department of Education Program, known as Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan. The program “seeks to open new schools in those habitations which do not have schooling facilities and to strengthen existing school infrastructure…” In Delhi, about a quarter of children, mostly those living in squatter settlements, do not attend school.

Another mobile school that serves India’s slum population is Door Step School. The organization works in Mumbai and Pune, India’s eighth largest city. To improve access, the NGO supplies transportation to children whose parents are temporary workers on construction sites. Buses bring the students to a single classroom, reaching 1,000 children a day. The agency also runs a “School-On-Wheels” program specifically for children “who live on pavements, station platforms or street corners and are often seen begging.” According to the organization “these groups are very mobile and usually there is no facility to run classes in the areas where they dwell. A bus provides the most suitable alternative for such a classroom.”

Just as it sounds, the school is a bus or van – still mobile – converted into a fully functioning classroom for elementary to high school-age children.

No Electricity? No Teachers? No Problem. Students in India’s Slums Are Learning from the Internet.

Schools in Malwani, a slum in the suburbs of Mumbai, faced the usual struggles like lack of facilities and low interest in education among the children. In addition, the schools faced difficulties in retaining teachers, who would often teach just for a few months and then quit abruptly.

In a poor teaching environment like this, where regular electricity itself is a challenge, introducing a new digital innovation sounds like a far-fetched idea.

But one intervention is changing the face of schools in slums and rural schools in India. Introducing Zaya Learning Lab, a social enterprise that is bridging the education gap by bringing world class learning resources to marginalized communities.

Founded by Neil D’souza and Soma Vajpayee in 2013, Zaya already serves over 100 schools and 20,000 children.

Before starting Zaya, Neil took a few years off from his work helping orphanages in Mongolia, where he had discovered a huge gap in the education system. He knew there was quality digital content online but not everyone could access it. He set out to design an intervention that could bridge this gap. He met Soma, an ex-banker, who was also extremely passionate about using technology in the classroom. Together, they founded Zaya Learning Labs.

They designed the Class Cloud, which gives teachers and students better tools for teaching and learning. A Class Cloud is a small, battery-powered device that creates a powerful local hotspot in offline learning centres or schools.

Specific content is pre-loaded on the Zaya Micro Cloud, which runs on battery for about 10 hours and does not require electricity.

The Micro Cloud is like a Wi-Fi router that can be carried anywhere. It is supported by low cost hand-held tablets, on which students can access content. About 60 students can connect to the Wi-Fi device at a time.

Quality Education for Slum Children

The Students of Symbiosis Info-tech Campus (SIC) have come together to contribute towards providing better quality education for slum children. The group is called Prayatna and their intention is to enrich the experience that the slum children get from the government run schools that they attend.

“These children do attend their government-run schools, but they needed that extra looking after to make themselves more competent. We not only take classes for them on our campus but have also got them admitted in a good English medium school for their better education,” says Student, adding, “We have to catch them young as it becomes difficult to shift them from a Hindi or vernacular medium schools to a English medium one. “The really interesting part is the source of the funds for this activity: Not neglecting the funds, he said that they were paying Rs 7000 per children to the school, which in turn takes care of all the needs of the children – from fees to books to uniforms. When asked about the source of funds, Chauhan explained that SIC students conduct film festivals and games through which they collect money for the children. They also collect old clothes and books from SIC students. However the noble idea was of alumni adopting the children.

It is truly wonderful that as part of their college activities the students are able to source funds and provide for a better education for the lesser privileged children of our country. We hope that this model will act as a source of inspiration for many other colleges across India to give back something to the society. And the work just doesn’t seem to stop at providing classroom education, as the article goes on to say:

Apart from the schooling, they also have many activities lined up for the kids. “We bring them to our campus five times a week and give them classes for English, maths, science, personality development, general knowledge and so on. We also take them for games and sports. We show them inspirational documentaries.”

One of the objectives with which The Better India was started is to spread awareness and create a sense of social contribution amidst our citizens. Hence, for us it is heartening to note that today’s students are already treading this path of spreading welfare! We wish Prayatna all the very best in their ongoing endeavors and look forward to many more school children receiving quality education from SIC and other similar college buddies

“Smiling is the best way to face every problem”

When Kids Could Not Come to School, This Paathshala Went to Them – On the Footpaths

The story of a beautiful relationship shared by the volunteers and students of a Footpath Paathshala (footpath school), which has given new dreams and confidence to street kids. Here’s more on how a school can run completely on strong will and dedication.

A lot of us, including me, have often complained about how infrastructural facilities of government schools are not up to the mark.

But is that really the most important requirement for education? What exactly is essential for the exchange of knowledge and the passing on of learning?

The answer lies in just two words – a teacher and a student.

A live example of this is the ‘Footpath Paathshala’ that runs on the footpath opposite MSU BBA College, Vadodara, Gujarat, where kids living on the streets are the most sincere students and enthusiastic volunteers play the role of wonderful teachers and mentors.

Juin Dutta, the president of the Srotoshwini Trust, tells me that the journey started in May 2013. They started teaching kids, who were gathered by Mahavir International, at the Hill Memorial School.

As days went by, they realized that the number of kids was decreasing. When they asked the kids what the problem was, the kids replied, “aap udhar aa jao (you come there).” By ‘there’, the kids meant the footpath. Since then, there has been no looking back and the number of kids attending the paathshala has constantly increased. In fact, they have started one more paathshala in Sayajigunj near Parshuram Bhatta Road which now has 45 kids.

The kids are taught to read and write in Gujarati. Along with this, the volunteers put a lot of emphasis on teaching good human values to the kids along with making them learn to be more sensitive towards things.

Meena, a six-year-old girl who used to be extremely shy and timid, is now naughty, talkative and full of confidence after coming in contact with Footpath Paathshala.

Ajay, another kid, dreams of going to Australia for higher education and also says that he will nurture kids under him when he grows up, just like his teachers are doing.

When Mrs. Dutta was asked about how much her life has changed after starting this initiative, she smiles, pauses for a second and then says, “Being with these kids is like being in a different world. Never have I been so happy, like I am now. Teaching these kids gives a new perspective and makes us even more sensitive towards things. You start thinking twice before going to a Bistro to eat.”

How an art school is helping slum children in Delhi

"The parents used to tell me, you're wasting your time, colouring on paper doesn't put food on the table," Rangamma Kaul, an art teacher in the Indian capital, Delhi, tells AFP news agency. That was 20 years ago when the 51-year-old teacher, who has a degree in fine arts, launched her art school for slum children in Nangloi in the western part of the city. Today her school has up to 60 students, taking lessons in drawing, painting, and clay modelling, although many parents are unsure of how art can help their children get jobs. Housewife Sunita Nigam, whose husband earns 6,000 to 7,000 rupees a month at a slipper factory, said she wants her son Shlok, to keep taking the classes. The more skills, Nigam reasons, the better his chances of fighting his way out of poverty. “I want my son to paint, to draw like others. I want my child to do everything, to grow up and become a doctor".

Donation

PETE has space for volunteers and office setup on rent, running 3 schools in the Delhi slums and launching rural area schools to provide English classes, computer education.

Providing Education to Everyone is restricted to receive international donations because of Indian regulations on foreign receipts for NGOs at the Moment.

They donate used clothes and other items useful for kids and adults. Also provide financial help to buy medicine for infants and children whose parents can't afford medicine on a regular basis.

If you have goods to donate or would like to learn more about other donation options, please contact us. Please note that it is difficult to accept in-kind donations from overseas and so they only facilitate these donations to their partner projects. Contact us if you have questions about what we can and cannot accept as donations. We support local artists by promoting their talent.

Needed Urgently: Need 5 sewing machines for Delhi slum women vocational school. Also need 6 used laptops for making a computer centre for village children, and 2 projectors to show movies to children and elders to create awareness about health, environment and education. PETE also take used books as they are going to make a library soon. If you or any of your friends would like to donate PETE any of the above items, they would be greatly appreciated.

Indian Citizens Can Make a Cheque/Demand Draft in Favour Of Providing Education to Everyone and Can Send It To-

13/20A WEST PATEL NAGAR NEW DELHI (India)-110008

In case of any Quire feel free to contact

How One Illiterate Man Is Helping Students through His Roadside Book Store

A story of an ordinary man with a simple dream and his own brand of creativity. Meet Dilipbhai Pujaram Patil, who has been bringing knowledge in the lives of hundreds of students through his roadside book store. On the busy road of SSG hospital in Vadodara, one would find an interesting and unique bus stop. It is cleaner than most bus stops, it’s exquisitely painted, and it has books. Yes, books! It has novels, magazines, newspapers and books on every genre and subject one could think of. Dilipbhai Pujaram Patil greets everyone with a warm smile. He used to sell ‘life magazines’ on a cycle and made a profit of Rs. 300 in this early days. But now, it has been 22 years he has been selling these bundles of knowledge.

Dilipbhai used to sit near the fine arts college for many years and was extremely popular among students there before he was forced to shift by the parking officials. He then started the ‘Urban Bookshelf’ on the road of SSG hospital with the help of a few architecture students.

Dilipbhai has three sons, two in the eighth grade and the third one is pursuing his masters in science. A sense of happiness and pride flashes in his eyes as he talks about his children. “I am an illiterate. I don’t know anything about reading or writing at all. But I love to help the students in their learning with these books. I always come to their rescue with their assignments and other work.”

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