For Shantharam’s students, education is literally a hilltop experience!

Thirty-one year old Shantharam, is a balwadi (kindergarten) teacher at one of the study centers run by Sahaara, in Chapewadi.

‘Chapewadi’ is a village located on the hills between Kharghar and Belapur, Mumbai. Populated by the underprivileged, the only source of early childhood education in this village is the Sahaara balwadi where Shantharam is the teacher.

Shantharam hails from a modest family and lives with his wife and three children. His wife assists him in cooking the meals for the children in the balwadi and two of their children go to school, while the third is too young to be enrolled into education. The incomes that Shantharam and his wife earn together are vital to make ends meet and pay for the education for their children.

Coming from a modest family, he did not complete his education and has studied only up to the ninth grade. With not much qualifications to his credit, he knew he had few choices. In 2005, when one of his friends suggested applying for a teacher’s position at Sahaara, he went for it and soon became a staff of Sahaara.

Shantharam teaches children between three to five years of age, at the Chapewadi center. He loves his job where he gets to impart knowledge to disadvantaged children.
Teachers at Sahaara are equipped to teach pre-primary education covering areas of math, hindi, general knowledge and art. Once a week, Sahaara conducts Training for Teacher’s where they are trained in lesson planning, curriculum development and implementation, teaching methodology: methods and teaching aids, classroom environment, discipline, maintenance of registers, Parent teacher meetings, conducting tests and student assessments.

Here is a first person account from him on why he started teaching and what it means to him –
”Knowing that I am the only source of early childhood education for these children gives me a deep sense of purpose. It has been 6 years that I’m working in Sahaara. I love my job and find it very fulfilling!”

About the Teacher’s Training sessions, he says:
“It has helped me a lot. Without TTC it would be very difficult for me to know how to teach children. TTC has equipped me and I now teach the children with ease and confidence”.

Shantharam values early primary education and believes that every child ought to get an opportunity to study and realize their dreams. She believes in their potential and wants to continue teaching children living in slums and see them get a good start in life.

Your generous donations, Bahareh, Shreeya, Erik, Howard, Mike and Suzanne, Mark and Lynn, Molly, Michael, Katherine, Ritesh, Chris and Emily, and Dean and Julie,,will enable Sahaara to pay for Shantharam’s training and monthly remuneration for a period of three months, thereby ensuring that he continues imparting valuable knowledge to disadvantaged children, who deserve it the most.

Thank you so much, Bahareh, Shreeya, Erik, Howard, Mike and Suzanne, Mark and Lynn, Molly,
Michael, Katherine, Ritesh, Chris and Emily, and Dean and Julie, for coming together to support Shantharam, thereby giving children from the underprivileged community of Chapewadi, a chance to break out of the poverty cycle.