Context:Government Primary School, Gandhinagar is a low-income school in Patigadda, Hyderabad. 90% of the children, studying in the school are first generation learners coming from below-poverty-line families who live in the surrounding slum areas of Patigadda and Prakashnagar. The underdeveloped and under-resourced nature of the school which tries to cater to the educational needs of students who live in extremely marginalised conditions in a community marred with myriad socio-economic problems (domestic abuse, alcoholism, street violence etc.) has resulted in children having very limited exposure to the world outside their house and community. This has negatively affected both their academic and creative capacities.
Who am I?
Hello. I am Sarbik, a Teach for India Fellow working as a teacher in this school, trying my best to ensure that these children receive an excellent education in order to push them towards a future of light and freedom. I have been teaching here for the last one and a half years, and each day with my kids has been a beautiful yet challenging adventure. I don’t consider myself to be just a teacher, but a lifelong friend and family for my kids. Something I have learnt in my journey with these little ones is that every kid has enormous potential and talent. But not all kids get the same opportunities and life circumstances to make the best use of their capabilities, especially kids who come from such downtrodden and marginalised communities. Hence, the last 1.5 years for me has been a constant battle to fight for my kids and do whatever it takes to give them as many opportunities as I can and most importantly, shower them with as many happy moments as possible, moments when they feel proud of themselves, experiences which make them believe in themselves, and experiences which can help them become the best versions of themselves. My fellowship and my time with my kids however is limited to 2 years, and with less than 3 months left before I have to say goodbye, I want to make sure that I did enough to impact their lives in a positive manner.

How can you help us? 
 Currently, there are numerous projects that are going on in school, to turn it into a magical environment of continuous learning, trust and harmony. To implement these projects and maximise their impact, we need funds and look forward to your contribution. The details have been given below:
 

Project Name	Details	The funds collected will be used for…
The Little Activists	What: This project aims to spread awareness about social issues and art among kids, equip them with problem-solving skills and the ability to express opinions and feelings and encourage them to spread awareness about these issues in the communities where they live with the help of the art they create. Why: The mere act of creating street art already has an effect on the world we live in. While traditional art can stimulate us to think about the world, street art takes it one step further by actually inserting the art into the ordinary world, the world of the under-privileged and common masses.	Purchasing and designing problem-solving toolkits for children to use in order to identify problems around them and come up with solutions independently. Purchasing stationery and other resources needed by the children to implement their activities in the communities. Implementing and documenting a Design for Change Project led by the children.  (Design for Change (DFC) is a global movement to give children a platform to express their ideas for a better world and put them into action through collaborative projects)
The Art Factory	What: This project aims to GPS Gandhinagar into an Indie Art Museum for children, filled with paintings, sculptures, poems, rantings, posters and other forms of art collected from independent artists across the country and the world through an online campaign. Why: Art has the power to heal and empower. It’s one of the strongest avenues for expressing oneself.Along with reading, writing, speaking and listening, art has the potential to enhance a child’s creative, emotional, social, emotional and physical faculties, thus paving the way for higher critical and analytical skills and gradually providing students a safe space to discover and explore themselves and their surroundings. Integrating formal education with art can make learning more fun and holistic. If formal academics shapes a child’s mind and body, exposure to art shapes her/his heart and soul.	Printing various content submitted by artists. Social media promotion of the project.
Reading Bros	What: Reading Bros is a peer learning project where higher order readers (Trees) and lower order readers(Seeds) are paired up for one-on-one reading in a safe, fun and friendly environment. The Seeds benefit from hearing stories read-aloud, interacting with higher order students and getting regular opportunities to practice familiar reading with 1:1 assistance. The Trees benefit from further developing their own literacy skills and fostering leadership and problem-solving skills by helping others. Why: The goal is to improve the overall literacy of students in the school and provide children with extra reading practice.	Purchasing books of different genres and reading levels to cater to all kinds of readers.

 
 What will you get in return?
 
 

• The satisfaction that comes from knowing that your contribution will help change the lives of more than 200 little ones and will help them to become independent learners and beautiful human beings.
• Unconditional love from these children for helping them grow and for inspiring them              

Our School                                                                     
The Children at play  

The Little Activists performing street plays on the streets of our community in order to make people aware of the need to protect trees.