Raju is a 5-year-old living in a Basti (slum area) in Haryana. He lives in a house made of polythene with his 2 sisters and parents.

His mother works at the construction site nearby and his father usually hangs out with his other friends around the Basti. Every morning he wakes up early in the morning and waits for his mother to leave so that he can run away to his favorite spot near the dumpster. Not many people sit around there.

Raju spends his morning looking at the sky and the birds dreaming of flying away, far away from this place one day. One day another 10 years old from his Basti came to sit with him. He told Raju "Arre tu aasman mai kya dekh raha hai, tujhe udhna hai to yeh sung"

Now Raju wakes up early in the morning and waits for his mother to leave so that he can go out and collect rags and get some money, he then uses that money to buy the magic potion that gets him high and makes him feel like he is flying.

There are millions of children like Raju trying to change their reality and achieve their dreams but fall prey to their life circumstances. With Project Arya, we aspire to give Raju and other children like him a safe space to dream and the resources to make their dreams come true.

With the pandemic, the struggles of these communities have all the more increased. A lot of people have lost their livelihood, children are out of school with nowhere to go. Extreme stress and uncertainty have impacted the level of violence and abuse. Children in these communities are growing up in an all the more difficult environment.

There is an urgent need to support these children and this community in order to manage the long-term psycho-social impact. Nairatmya Foundation intends to set up a Holistic Learning center for children living in urban slums.

The objective of the project is to mitigate the impact of ACEs by providing holistic support to children.

The outcome of the Program:
• A safe space for learning
• Children getting quality education in a fun way
• Enhanced prosocial behavior
• Improved emotional well being
• Childhood filled with Joy and Connection

Adverse Circumstances changed Raju's life forever, took away the childhood he should have lived. Can we come together return children like Raju, the childhood they deserve, the one filled with joy and connection? Let's donate a beautiful childhood to a young mind.