NGO helps slum kid shine as math star
Aarohan organises coaching classes and computer training for students of government schools and also builds toilets.
New Delhi: In contrast to the glittering festivities in top private schools to hail some of city’s Class 10 toppers, a quiet yet proud celebration took place in a slum cluster in south Delhi’s Malviya Nagar. Sixteen-year-old Ateeb Qadir - who scored 95 in math – accepted greeting from well-wishers with a hug and sweets.
The son of a daily wager from a government school has achieved something which nobody in his neighbourhood has achieved, in years. He credits his aggregate score of 89 per cent to the free coaching and support from NGO Aarohan in the past five years.
“We were taught math by Aarohan’s volunteers like IITian Harshit Chauhan and provided books as well,” said a jubilant Ateeb, who aspires to be an engineer.
Aarohan chairperson Rani Patel said, “We gave the 30-odd underprivileged Class 10 students the right environment for studies and helped them gain confidence. All our children have excelled.”
Support from US-based IITian Sharad Agarwal, philanthropist Shalini Mehra and volunteers like Mr Chauhan helped in our mission, said Ms Patel, whose NGO recently figured among 51 most impactful social innovators awarded on the World CSR Day.
Ms Patel said Ateeb is not the only star performer from Aarohan family. Ruchi, a daughter of a domestic help, scored 82 per cent in Class 10. “She had fainted on the day of one of her exam but gathered her confidence in time to shine,” said Ms Patel.
Aarohan organises coaching classes and computer training for students of government schools and also builds toilets. Recently, Union human resource development minister Prakash Javadekar had hailed Aarohan’s underprivileged children and felicitated Class 12 who passed with flying colours and joined top colleges.