Support the Dreams of Young Girls from a Delhi Slum

Rs. 4000 is the monthly family income of many residents of Seemapuri -  a slum cluster in East Delhi, that houses mostly families of rag pickers and waste collectors. With an income so low, it's often hard for parents to put food on the table for their children. Education, on the other hand, comes as a luxury. In the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many of these families have lost even that.

Jan Sandesh, a vocational training center, is working in this setting to provide children of Seemapuri with marketable skills so that they are able to contribute to their family income in a sustainable manner. The center offers 3 to 6 months long courses that range from English speaking and Computer Studies to Stitching and Design. The courses offered by Jan Sandesh in various fields have had a high success rate, and in the past year (2019-2020), close to 120 girls secured employment based on the skills they gained through these trainings. This has enabled them to support their families financially.

The center was founded in 2000 and was funded by Project Concerns International, an American development organization. However, in February 2016, their funding was cut overnight, without any backup. This lack of external funding led to the inevitable - the only way to sustain the center would be that the girls would now have to pay some money for this training. Since then, Mr. Ramesh Misra, the then Project Coordinator of the Center, has been using his savings to run the center in addition to the little money that some of the girls (or their families) are able to pay. However, his savings alone can no longer sustain it, especially in the situation of the current lack of livelihood in the area.

For many of Mr. Misra’s students, even a small payment seems impossible given their family’s financial situation, and consequently, several of them had to drop out.

Through this fundraiser, I, (a volunteer at Jan Sandesh), endeavor to provide some much-needed respite to the institution, and to many of the girls who call the center their second home.

The average monthly cost to run the center is Rs. 60,000, which includes rent, electricity, internet, supplies such as sewing machines, stationary, and teacher’s salaries (these amazing teachers are paid a mere Rs.5,000/ month - many of the girls go on to earn much more after the training). This fundraiser will help cover these costs. Additionally, since the costs of the different courses vary, depending on the teacher’s salary, and the supplies provided, a donor could even sponsor one girl for a three to six-month course!

Do not hesitate to reach out to me on email for any further information or clarification!