She drops them so that they do not drop out
Since four months, Iffat Faridi has ensured a free ride to school so that travel cost would not hold these kids back. Before that, she admitted them to a school where they could study for free
Iffat Faridi’s gym workouts have proved to be a boon for 15 kids. Instead of turning a blind eye to the street children who used to play everyday outside herposh gym on Hennur Road, she decided to reform their lives. She picked them up from the roadside and led them to school.
On Tuesday, Faridi chose to celebrate Id with these 15 kids instead of going back to her family in Delhi. She arranged games, refreshments and made them part of her celebration with the assistance of her friends in the apartment and members of Lions Club, Banaswadi, where she serves as the president.
Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and moved to Bangalore two years ago after working for several universities. Her motto has been to offer education to those who are deprived through her mission ‘From Street to School’.
“When I used to work out in the gym I used to see these street kids playing on the road. They were children of migrantlabourers from Gulbarga. One day, I asked them if they wanted to study and they nodded,” she said.
Four months ago she started off by giving them stationery and then started taking classes for them in the slum until her class got bigger, after which she shifted it to the maintenance room in her apartment. She did not let language become a barrier though she knew only English and Hindi.
“I gave them basic education and then spoke to different schools to get them admitted after I realised that they need to attend formal schooling. I approached schools and got them admitted toJyothi School where they had an option of studying free of cost,” she said.
As she realised that most children skip school because of a lack of transport, she arranged an autorickshaw for them so that they could be transported to school without any hassle. “All of them fall in different age groups and have been admitted to standard I now. They come to the apartment every day after school for tuitions. I have also approached theAzim Premji Foundation who gave me a bridge course so that these children can be put in classes according to their age,” she said.
Since the children’s group just keeps getting bigger, she has plans of buying an Omni and employing autorickshaw drivers to take them to and fro from school. The children’s parents are happy, and cannot thank Faridi enough for her gesture.
“I am going to appoint a teacher who can assist me in teaching them and take classes in my absence since I have to travel a lot. I have taken up the responsibility of monitoring these children and will make sure that they get the education they deserve,” she said.
Iffat Faridi’s gym workouts have proved to be a boon for 15 kids. Instead of turning a blind eye to the street children who used to play everyday outside her
On Tuesday, Faridi chose to celebrate Id with these 15 kids instead of going back to her family in Delhi. She arranged games, refreshments and made them part of her celebration with the assistance of her friends in the apartment and members of Lions Club, Banaswadi, where she serves as the president.
Faridi lives in Hennur. She completed her PhD in Education from
“When I used to work out in the gym I used to see these street kids playing on the road. They were children of migrant
Four months ago she started off by giving them stationery and then started taking classes for them in the slum until her class got bigger, after which she shifted it to the maintenance room in her apartment. She did not let language become a barrier though she knew only English and Hindi.
“I gave them basic education and then spoke to different schools to get them admitted after I realised that they need to attend formal schooling. I approached schools and got them admitted to
As she realised that most children skip school because of a lack of transport, she arranged an autorickshaw for them so that they could be transported to school without any hassle. “All of them fall in different age groups and have been admitted to standard I now. They come to the apartment every day after school for tuitions. I have also approached the
Since the children’s group just keeps getting bigger, she has plans of buying an Omni and employing autorickshaw drivers to take them to and fro from school. The children’s parents are happy, and cannot thank Faridi enough for her gesture.
“I am going to appoint a teacher who can assist me in teaching them and take classes in my absence since I have to travel a lot. I have taken up the responsibility of monitoring these children and will make sure that they get the education they deserve,” she said.
