Education for 1000 slum children in Goa

Dear Friend,

Education empowers a person to be self-sufficient, aids in the repression of social ills, and aids in the advancement of society and the country as a whole. In India, there are reportedly more than 18 million street children. Since they lack the money to send their children to school, low-income parents often resort to performing housework, rag-picking, and other anti-social activities.

El Shaddai seeks to break the cycle of poverty by using education as a tool to open doors for employment, economic progress, and sustainable development. The youngsters in the slums are given lessons in Maths, English, yoga, and other extracurricular activities. Additionally, outreach workers distribute monthly rations, hygiene kits, and daily cooked meals to students living in slums with their families. 

In Goa, specifically in Vasco, Margao, Calangute, and Panjim, El Shaddai is currently operating 24 slum schools, and 5,616 children have benefited with the help of this project to fulfil their dreams to become and achieve something in their life.

Anju (name changed), from Bihar, wants to be a teacher. She is 12 years old along with her parents have migrated to Goa for livelihood with her parents. Currently, she lives in the Dholak slums of Margao in a small room covered with tarpaulin. The place is very crowded with no water facilities, no proper washroom and hygiene. Her mother is the sole earner of the family as her father is an alcoholic, and it is very difficult for her to meet the needs of the 4 members and pay rent.

This child is not been to school. She was enrolled in our shelter for non-formal classes for a year.  She is a smart and very enthusiastic girl who is curious to learn new things. She grasped reading and writing skills. A year later she was enrolled by our outreach worker to the nearby formal school.

But after a few months, she suddenly stopped attending the school. Our team investigated and found that her father stopped her from attending school. One day, our outreach team visited her house and found that she is doing all the house chores. When asked she replied, “My parents are not allowing me to go to school because there is no one to take care of our house.” We could see in her eyes that her dreams were fading. She has accepted the reality that she will never get an opportunity to read and write.

Our outreach team tried to convince her parents to send her child back to school. Anju (name changed) is now not only attending her school regularly but, has also answered her final exam and has shown progress in her studies. She is inspiring others to get educated in her locality.

Our slum school teachers are convincing to support these children in continuing their education. We also organize an awareness program on the Importance of Education for slum children on a regular basis. Maintaining education is important, especially for those who lack the means to pay for it. We will always be grateful to you, and we sincerely hope that you will help us in our efforts to provide these young children with a good education. We appreciate your ongoing commitment to the right cause. 

El Shaddai Family!

Links:

• https://childrescue.net/