HIDDEN ‘GEMS’ IN WASTE

In a story that could be straight out of a fairy tale, a waste-picker’s daughter who grew up on the tough, dingy streets of Nizamuddin in Delhi secured admission to a Delhi University college after topping her Class 12 examinations with an impressive 85 per cent.

Coming from a waste-picker’s family and from a community where girls traditionally faced restrictions on stepping outside the home, young Kehkasha had indeed come a long way.

Kehkasha’s journey, however, was not easy. During her early childhood, she struggled with several hurdles to her education and was uncertain whether she would even be able to complete formal schooling. At the time, it was commonplace for girls from her economic background to drop out of school after the fifth or sixth standard and support the family; or worse, get married. Besides, Kehkasha was always more interested in dancing or spending time with friends, as there wasn’t much education to be received in the school she was attending – a common challenge in under-resourced schools.

It was then that she discovered a learning centre in Nizamuddin and joined it in a last-ditch attempt to finish her studies. She thought she would not only get a different experience but also have the chance to meet other girls at the new learning centre, at least for some time… before she dropped out.

That was in 2009, when Kehkasha was in the fourth standard. She has never looked back since.

For the daughter of a waste-picker and a domestic help, the opportunity to resume her education was indeed a blessing. It opened doors to a fantastic new world that she had never known or even hoped to be a part of.

Nine years on, she was pursuing a bachelor’s degree in history. How did this change come about? Kehkasha credits the Nizamuddin learning centre she joined in 2009 and feels it was pivotal in turning her life around.

The Nizamuddin learning centre in question is run by the Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group under the aegis of Project Armaan, a CSR project of the Le Passage Travel Foundation. It grooms not only children who roam the streets earning a pittance through waste-picking but also the children of waste-pickers who believe in this community-changing project through education and holistic nurturing. The centre is a part of Chintan’s No Child in Trash (NCIT) programme, which has learning centres across the National Capital Region.

Project Armaan was launched in November 2005 as a collaboration between Chintan and Le Passage to help move children away from landfills and towards classrooms. Waste-pickers form one of the most vulnerable communities in India. They work day and night in debilitating conditions to recycle the waste that we generate but are often neglected and denied basic services that every citizen is entitled to, including access to good education.

Chintan has been working with waste-pickers to improve waste management since 1999, and its NCIT programme helps support thousands of children every year through learning centres with specially designed curricula and dedicated teachers.

The NCIT programme was started in 2003 with the purpose of enabling waste-picker children to move from dumpsites to schools. In a nutshell, Chintan identifies waste-picking children in an area, holds bridge classes, incentivises children to attend these, and then finally helps them move into mainstream education.

To prevent these mainstreamed children from dropping out because of academic pressure, they are provided supplementary education based on the NCERT curriculum through support study classes. Chintan uses the learning centres as sites to prepare children and their families, where these exist, for formal education in multiple ways – pedagogically, emotionally, and through counselling.

Regular health check-ups, nutritional supplements, and clean drinking water for the children are also important parts of the facilities provided by the learning centres. Chintan understands that the physical well-being of children is essential to fostering their mental well-being. To help children keep up with 21st-century skills, English and computer classes are also conducted so that they are more confident in taking up the challenges of demanding jobs in the future.

While Chintan has been working tirelessly to organise waste-pickers for their rights and to include them in the mainstream workforce, it also understands that this is a long fight that may consume generations. The organisation therefore also works with and for the children of waste-pickers, who were often themselves involved in picking trash or accompanied their parents while they worked.

These children, far removed from the learning atmosphere of schools, were at the greatest risk of taking on their parents’ profession when they grew up. Rooted in the belief that children have the right to choose and build their own future, the NCIT programme was established.

The NCIT classrooms are not alternate schools, but learning centres designed to equip children with life and literacy skills so as to facilitate their integration into the mainstream education system. Ultimately, the aim is to transform their personalities so that, as young citizens, they too can raise their voices against prejudice, become productive members of society, and play their part in bringing marginalised communities into the mainstream.

My experience of working with these children has been enriching and satisfying too. Having worked in both the formal and informal education systems, I truly believe that many children, like Kehkasha, have the potential to move out of ‘waste’ and become responsible citizens of our country.

All they need is a hand to hold as they walk through the odds, and a little pat on the back for the smallest of achievements. Just doing that can go a long way in building their future in the years to come.

Volunteers from Le Passage and its esteemed travel partners are regular visitors at the Chintan learning centres at Nizamuddin and Sunder Nursery, both of which are funded by the Le Passage Travel Foundation as part of the travel company’s CSR initiatives.

These visitors come from diverse educational, social, and professional backgrounds and bring with them a wealth of experiences and skills that they share with the young children through team-building exercises. They facilitate and conduct art and craft classes, outdoor games, life-skills activities, and communication sessions in an interactive way, helping children develop essential skills.

Group and individual interaction with volunteers gives young children the confidence to deal with strangers, communicate, and express themselves freely. To make the sessions more engaging, volunteers often sing and dance along with the children.

They contribute immensely, bringing cheer, hope, and joy to the children. In return, the children create handmade gifts and cards from waste materials and present them to volunteers as tokens of appreciation and love.

Volunteer engagement creates a mutually beneficial experience – giving children confidence, opportunity, and hope while allowing volunteers to share their time, skills, and humanity.