Nirmala loves to recite nursery rhymes!

Children residing in red light communities live in highly dangerous environments of violence, trauma and abuse. Many of these children are kept drugged under the very beds upon which the trade is carried out. Perishing in hunger, neglect, illiteracy and hopelessness, these children long for the day their childhood would be theirs again.

Three year old Nirmala* hails from Turbhe red light area, one of the innumerable poverty stricken red light pockets in Mumbai. Her father, Baldev and her mother, Sangita are not educated and the family income is barely enough to make both ends meet.

Children like Nirmala, residing in red light areas, face hurdles of generational illiteracy, limited access to education and poor quality of education. Further they are also exposed everyday to the traumaitizing environment of the sex trade characterised by violence, coercion and deceit.

Though Nirmala hails from such a disadvantaged background, she can dream of a stable future with a good education because she studies at Turbhe study center, run by Sahaara. The foundational pre-primary teaching provided at Sahaara’s balwadis enables Nirmala to step into a bright future through enrolment in a good school.

Sahaara’s balwadi has a systematic curriculum wherein children are equipped in the following subjects over the period of a year: English and Hindi: alphabets and poems, writing skills, general knowledge (colours, animals, flowers, personal hygiene etc), colouring, games and activities such as counting and recognition.

Nirmala is a smart student with excellent recall skills. She loves singing nursery rhymes and performing action songs. She enjoys colouring and drawing and has a lot of fun while playing games. Nirmala is very sociable and loves helping the other children.

The early childhood education program gives children like Nirmala, get a head start which will help her break out of the vulnerable existence in the red light area and step into a safe and secure future.

Your generous donations, Cathleen, Rao, Tom, and John, of three months of education each, will enable Sahaara to provide a year of pre-primary education to Nirmala.

Thank you so much,Cathleen, Rao, Tom, and John, for your gift to Nirmala!

*Name changed to protect identity