NGO IN DELHI FOR CHILDREN

“Children are the face of our future”. Haven’t we all heard this countless times and ignored it like just another quote? People are busy making their own lives better, or getting richer, but why don’t they ever think about extending a helping hand to the children in need, who sleep each night empty stomach and grow up with a withered childhood? Lakshyam is a non-profit organisation working hard relentlessly day and night to uplift such underprivileged children and to ensure a better future for them and the society.

Homeless Peoples in Delhi

Being the capital city of India, Delhi faces its own set of challenges, a major one being poverty. People often migrate to Delhi from different states in India, in search of jobs, opportunities, a better living and, end up getting caught in the vicious circle of poverty, apathy, greed, and exploitation, forming an endless spiral. These people struck by poverty, unaware of their rights, exposed to harsh environments feel helpless and inadequate to support their children. Poverty strips these children off their childhood and the right to a nurturing environment. Lakshyam is an NGO in Delhi for children that aims at employing innovative and effective ideas to improve the quality of life of the socio-economically disadvantaged children. It works to empower and enhance the lives of these children by providing them with remedial education, a holistic environment and equal opportunities for them to showcase and hone their abilities and talents.

Lakshyam is currently working in 11 states and 13 centres in India to uplift the children in need and to transform their lives. In Delhi NCR, Lakshyam has two main centres, one being the JJ Bandhu Camp in Vasant Kunj and the other being a rag picker community in Sahibabad, Lal Kuan, Ghaziabad.

The children in the slum area adopted by Lakshyam (JJ Bandhu Camp) have been attending Government schools, mainly due to free of cost facilities and mid-day meals that they receive there. According to the data, in spite of the fact that all children go to school, only 25% of them finish the 12th grade and later go to open college, where they have classes once or twice a week. Other 75% stop their education early on to start working. Mostly, the children here roamed idly in & around the slum area with no extracurricular activities to indulge in. After the establishment of Lakshyam’s Remedial Education Center, there has been increase in the enrolment of children in Government schools and rise in their attendance. Classes at the Lakshyam center after school has helped these children broaden their area of honing their capabilities. The Lakshyam center with its holistic environment has helped these children build their personalities and confidence. A lot of children from senior secondary school have now started attending tuition classes at the centre for better learning and performance in the board examinations.

The other community undertaken by Lakshyam includes the ragpicker families inhabiting an area of land near a building site in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad. These families live in deplorable conditions with no proper access to sanitation or electricity. Most children here start accompanying the older adults of the family for rag-picking in the hope of extra earning at an early age. None of the adult inhabitants have received education. The children of these families are destined to follow the path of their parents and become rag-pickers. But, Lakshyam, by setting up a free of cost remedial school in this area that atleast introduces the children to education and their rights has helped change their fates.

Lakshyam is an NGO in Delhi for children that not only aims at education but also their need for a better and more nurturing environment. Lakshyam understands the inherent needs of the children, especially the need of companions like a toy or a book that help a child grow better and more holistically. Therefore wiith the help of various schools, it has set up a Toy Library comprising of various books and toys for these children.

The people at Lakshyam and these underprivileged children work like a family and strive each day to make a difference, to make the world more liveable and to make people understand the needs of these children who’d be the face of our future.