ASED
A school that reaches out to street children
Location
Dehradun, India (at the foot of the Himalayas)
Context
When Dehradun was declared the capital of the new state of Uttarakhand in India, many families migrated to the city in the hope of finding work. With no means of settling in, these people in precarious situations contributed to the rapid increase in the number of people living on the streets and in shantytowns, now estimated at 222,000.
The children of these populations, whether they live with their families, are runaways, abandoned or orphans, are the first to suffer from these conditions of extreme poverty. On the margins of society, they are exposed to human trafficking. Their struggle for access to basic amenities such as drinking water, food and healthcare takes a heavy toll on their mental and physical health. The lack of education and training denies them any hope of a better future. They are caught in a vicious circle of poverty.
Project
Since these children can’t go to school, the school comes to them. Buses transformed into mobile learning centers visit the streets and shantytowns, loaded with storybooks, games, drawing sheets and teaching materials. Specialized teachers go out to meet these children and their parents to convince them of the benefits of education.
Everything is organized to adapt to their specific needs, to stimulate them, interest them, make them want to learn and enable them, during this rare moment of the day that belongs to them, to live carefree and safe lives, as all children should.
These buses have revolutionized traditional learning methods and eliminated the barriers that prevent access to education. They provide an innovative, inexpensive and versatile solution to the problem of illiteracy affecting street children.
Impact
Two buses welcome 95 children aged 4 to 12, to give them the foundations of an education that will enable them to acquire a sufficient level to enter school and continue their education.
Partnership
Aasraa Trust is a reputable organization with a long-term vision, operating in the slums of Dehradun. It is supported by numerous donors, including the state, private companies, individuals and foreign organizations. Founded in 2009, it enjoys a solid reputation for the quality of its actions, its results, its holistic approach and its financial stability. Each year, Aasraa raises the necessary operating funds for its many operations in the city.