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Jaydeep Kadam, who was raised in a slum, is helping poor kids set bigger goals in life by teaching them Taekwondo for free
Jaydeep Kadam, who grew up in a Chembur slum in the nineties, knows too well how lack of opportunities shackles the future of scores of poor children. The 31-year-old Taekwondo coach is on a mission to ensure children from such struggling communities are not left behind. Three years ago, he started the Sai Garjana Foundation to teach the Korean martial art for free to students of municipal schools.
“I have experienced the hardships of a life in slums. There is a big difference between children from slums and those from the town," he said. “Anyone can make money, but I wanted to do something different for these children. Learning and mastering Taekwondo can instil discipline in them and open up opportunities.They can apply for admission to colleges or seek a job in sports quota."
Kadam divides his time between working as a part-time Taekwondo coach at an international school, as a clerk at the Taekwondo Association of Maharashtra and mentoring the city's disadvantaged children. “Their parents work as domestic helps or as painting masons. Some of the kids also do odd jobs such as cleaning cars, but they still make it for the class," he said.
Jaydeep Kadam, who grew up in a Chembur slum in the nineties, knows too well how lack of opportunities shackles the future of scores of poor children. The 31-year-old Taekwondo coach is on a mission to ensure children from such struggling communities are not left behind. Three years ago, he started the Sai Garjana Foundation to teach the Korean martial art for free to students of municipal schools.
“I have experienced the hardships of a life in slums. There is a big difference between children from slums and those from the town," he said. “Anyone can make money, but I wanted to do something different for these children. Learning and mastering Taekwondo can instil discipline in them and open up opportunities.They can apply for admission to colleges or seek a job in sports quota."
Kadam divides his time between working as a part-time Taekwondo coach at an international school, as a clerk at the Taekwondo Association of Maharashtra and mentoring the city's disadvantaged children. “Their parents work as domestic helps or as painting masons. Some of the kids also do odd jobs such as cleaning cars, but they still make it for the class," he said.
