Amuda
Amuda came to Delhi with her parents when she was 4 years old and lived in a tent in Kanak Durga basti. Her parents tried to get her admitted to a government school but were unable todo so as Amuda did not know Hindi. The Swati teachers got in touch with her family and enrolled her in our Balwari programme. Later on the Swati team helped her get admission in Class 1 in a government school. Throughout her school life Amuda was enrolled with the Remedial Education Programme at Swati and continued to avail after school coaching and training for various vocational programmes including the computer literacy programme.
Currently Amuda is working in the company, “Jeevan Saathi” as a manager. She is now able to support not just herself, but her entire family!
“Swati not only taught me Hindi but various other skill work such as computers, candle making, knitting, cloth dyeing and painting. Swati’s support made me become a manager. I not only made my parents proud but was also able to feed my family. Thank you to Swati’s teachers and all the staff for their blessings and continuous support.”
Saleem
Saleem joined Swati at the age of 3 and has been associated with the project ever since. After Balwari, Swati got him admitted in a government school. However he soon stopped attending school and would while-away his time roaming around in the basti. This went on for three years, but throughout this time, Swati teachers remained in touch with him and made him realize the importance of education and how his life can transform. He finally re-joined school and went on to complete his schooling with the support of Swati’s Remedial Education Programme. Swati with its continuous encouragement and support helped him realize his potential by giving him several opportunities to participate in various painting , dance and theatre competitions.
Through these opportunities his talent as an artist was noticed by Swati and he was given a scholarship to join Bachelors of Fine Arts (B.FA). He is now a media visualizer with NIIT and has gone on to complete his Masters degree.
He has become financially independent and has moved out of the basti. However, he still continues to be associated with Swati and works tirelessly to help the children in the basti, he is a role model for our children.
We are very grateful to Saleem for his immense and ongoing contribution to Swati and would like to specially acknowledge his work in designing and building our website!
“Swati provided me with the resources to pursue my dreams. I will forever be thankful of the endless support that the teachers and staff of Swati have provided me.”
Devender Kumar
Devender was enrolled in the Swati Balwari programme at the age of 4.. Devender’s parents were unaware of the procedures involved in getting admission to a government school. The Swati teachers assisted them and got him admitted to Class 1 in a mainstream school. He continued his association with Swati by enrolling in the Remedial Education Programme, where he came for after-school classes. He also underwent computer training at Swati. Devender’s participation in various programmes and workshops held at Swati, gave him an opportunity to learn and develop his theatre skills, something he was very interested in. He was able to showcase his talent with the opportunities Swati provided and now he has his own theatre group. Swati helped him get in touch with a number of organisations who now invite him to perform and help him earn a livelihood.
He continues to be a part of the Swati family and is member of the youth group which helps spread awareness about education, health and hygenie. During the COVID-19 pandemic Devender has assisted Swati with its relief work.
“Swati has not only provided me with education but has expanded the idea of learning through the help of various educational exposures, such as, sports workshops and coaching.… I hope a lot of children from basti continue to get educational support from Swati for a brighter future.”
Manju
Owing to the compulsion of poverty Manju started working as a domestic helper from a very young age. In the evenings when she would return to the basti from work she would spend some time watching the children studying and playing at Swati. The Swati teachers observed the strong craving for learning in her eyes and approached her parents. The Swati team met with her parents and explained to them the importance of education and the impact it would have on Manju’s life. After a lot of persuasion her parents agreed to send Manju to Swati after work for some classes. She continued to study under the guidance of Swati teachers and then enrolled in an open school and finished her schooling. Apart from completing her schooling she also underwent various vocational trainings and courses; she did a beauticians course and also learnt tailoring, typing and computer operations. With the help of the education and skill-set she received at Swati, Manju is now able to support her family financially and has also become a role model for her younger siblings who are all enrolled with government schools.
“I still remember the day when Swati staff recognized my need and rights.”
Indu
Indu’s journey began with Swati at the age of 3. Her mother was already a regular participant of the monthly awareness group and women’s literacy programme at Swati. After completing the Balwari programme she got admitted in a government school. Indu continued to depend on Swati for educational support and got enrolled in the Remedial Education Programme, which helped her complete her schooling.
Swati was able to provide her a scholarship to join the Holistic Health and Fitness programme at the South Delhi Polytechnic for Women. Indu got her first job with a courier company and later on got a job with ABN AMRO.
“….these classes were like rain in a desert because these not only helped me overcome my fear of studies but also instilled confidence in me. It was a god’s gift to me.”
Palak
Palak was enrolled in a government school in Class 1 but only a few months after her admission she left school due to problems in the house. She left Delhi for a few months with her mother and her education came to a halt. On returning to Delhi she did not rejoin her school and stayed at home with her parents, helping with the household chores. Swati team got to know of Palak’s situation in one of their door to door campaigns, they tried to explain to her mother the importance of education and the need for Palak to return to school. However, the mother did not agree and later on confided with the team that her husband is against Palak going to school and is an alcoholic. The Swati team continued to visit Palak’s house regularly on some pretext or the other for the next few months, always trying to persuade her parents to restart her education. They explained the importance of education and the impact it would have on all their lives. Finally, they agreed to send her to Swati for the Remedial Education Programme (REP). Palak started attending classes at Swati and the teachers helped her come at par with her peers, she slowly started enjoying classes and her participation increased. Finally Swati was able to mainstream her to a formal school and she joined Class 2. She continues to be associated with Swati’s REP and has become a keen learner. She now has a bright future to look forward to and we look forward to helping her through the way!
Shabnam
Shabnam joined Swati’s Balwari programme at the age of 4. Thereafter, she got admission to a private school under the EWS (economically weaker section) quota. Shabnam continued to be associated with Swati as she was enrolled with the Remedial Education Programme throughout her school life. She also participated in various workshops and competitions organised at Swati. She did our computer literacy course and later took on a teaching job at Swati itself. She continued to study while working at Swati and completed her graduation in B.Com. The team at Swati noticed her potential and drive and moved her to their finance department, and trained her to become an assistant accountant. This opened new avenues for her and currently she is employed with a law firm in New Delhi. She still continues to be associated with Swati and drops in to meet the staff teachers whenever she can !
“This school has taught me a lot of things and because of Swati only I have been able to express hidden art inside me. I thank Swati for trusting me and for giving me the golden chance to prove myself. Thanks a lot !”
Chanchal
Chanchal first came to Swati at the age of 4 and was a part of the Balwari programme. Swati then helped her join a government school where she started her formal education but she continued to depend on us for educational support and was enrolled in the after school coaching classes. She participated in various extra-curricular activities and attended a number of workshops organised by Swati. She was also a regular member of the “Youth Group” at Swati and attended monthly meetings to discuss issues like health, hygiene, rights and importance of education. Swati was able to adequately motivate her and support her to not only finish her schooling but to also enrol in college.
Currently she is completing her graduation in B. Com.
“I want to thank Swati for seeing my potential and encouraging me to fulfill my dream of going to college. I will forever be grateful to Swati for all the guidance and support I have received from them.”
Laxmi
Laxmi was enrolled in the vocational training programme and learnt stitching at the Swati centre. Laxmi had always wanted to become a teacher and with Swati’s help and support she was enrolled with a scholarship in an early childhood education course at South Delhi Polytechnic College.
“I always dreamed of becoming a teacher but never thought that I would be able to fulfill that dream. However I got very lucky and got support from Swati and they motivated me and encouraged me to fulfil my dream. I would like to thank everyone at Swati from the bottom of my heart and I will forever be grateful to them for making my dream come true.”
Hema
Hema was 4 years old when she came to Swati. After completing her 2 years in our Balwari she was admitted to a government school in Class 1. She joined Swati’s Remedial Education Programme (REP, coaching classes) and continued her education till Class 8. However she dropped out of school in Class 9 since due to financial compulsions she had to help her mother with daily chores. Swati remained in touch with her and her family and after two years of persuasion we succeeded in motivating her to re-enter the education system. Hema enrolled in an open school and with the help and educational support of Swati she succeeded in completing her schooling. Swati then helped her join a one year certificate course in beauty cosmetology and hairstyling; we provided her with a scholarship to do the same.
