Nagma cannot be kept away from school

Four and a half year old Nagma Begum Shaikh is one of five children. Her family hails from Bellampur Zilla, Uttarowla. Her father, Akbar Ramzan Ali Shaikh, works as a PUP worker and her mother, Jahira Begum, is a housewife. They are a family of seven that includes Nagma, her two sisters,  two brothers and parents.

Nagma hails from Govandi, one of the innumerable poverty stricken slum pockets in Mumbai. Her father is illiterate and her mother has not studied beyond the fifth grade.

Children like Nagma, from Mumbai slums, face educational deprivation in terms of generational illiteracy, physical access to education and quality of education as well. Though Nagma hails such from a disadvantaged background she can dream of a stable future with a good education because she studies at the Govandi study center, run by Sahaara. Being close to Nagma’s house, the balwadi is a potent vehicle for transforming her future through quality education.

Nagma is a keen and enthusiastic student who has always been eager to attend the study center. She has excellent grasping and recall skills. She thoroughly enjoys her time at the balwadi, because apart from studies, there are several playtime activities to engage the children as well. Nagma loves to entertain an audience with her unique mimicry skills and keeps the teachers and students rolling in laughter! Nagma insists on coming to the balwadi even when sick and it takes a lot to keep her away from the classes. To any first time visitor, Nagma’s innocent smile, confidence while interacting with other children would belie her background and family’s poverty.

Sahaara Charitable Society believes that every person has a dream, and their work centers around ensuring that marginalized persons are able to articulate and work towards achieving their dream. Nagma, for instance, aspires to be a teacher when she grows up. Sahaara’s early childhood education program gives children like Nagma, get a start which will help her break out of the poverty cycle and her dream can become her reality.

Your generous donations, Anita and Dara,  will enable Sahaara to provide a year of pre-primary education to Nagma.

Thank you so much for your priceless gift to Nagma!