Inspiration

This man teaches poor and under-privileged children in this school under the bridge!

Every three minutes, the sound of the metro train passing overhead reverberates through the school under the bridge. But that doesn’t seem to affect its students who continue to be immersed in their studies unperturbed.

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We have heard of many heroes. Robin Hood who stole from the rich and gave it to the poor. Spiderman who used his web to save the people of the city from peril. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No its superman, the superhero who wore his knickers over his pants and flew around saving people. All these fictitious characters are famous for one thing, their common goal was to help people in need. But what about real life heroes. The ones that help by being completely selfless. One such man is Rajesh Kumar Sharma. A super hero in his own right. What’s his power? Well he runs a free school for New Delhi’s poorest children under a metro bridge.

His biggest challenge was to convince the parents of these children to allow them to go to school instead of putting them to work to add to the family wages.

Rajesh Kumar Sharma, a 45 year old man from Aligarh was forced to drop out of college during his 3rd year due to financial difficulties. A father of three and a grocery store owner decided that he would educate those who could not afford to go to school. Thus the“Free School: Under the Bridge” was born . Started in 2006, his students initially were and 10 years later still continue to be children of migrant labourers, daily wage workers from nearby slum areas and farmers.

Rajesh says “I didn’t want this generation to lose out just because they are poor.”

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He goes on to say “I could not become an engineer because of financial constraints. I had to drop out of college. Through these children I get to live my dream.”

This school is an unconventional one with no chairs or tables but uses the concrete wall of a bridge for blackboards and the pillars serve as a boundary. His biggest challenge was to convince the parents of these children to allow them to go to school instead of putting them to work to add to the family wages.

Laxmi Chandra the son of a daily wage labourer from Bihar and a science graduate from a university in Bihar also teaches students mathematics and science at this school as he believes that poverty can drive children to crime.

“I have been teaching here since 2011 and back home I have seen how, due to poverty, children get into all sorts of wrong things.They need guidance and that’s what we try to give them here through education, so that they can have a bright future.” says Laxmi Chandra

The school receives its funding from the public and non-government organisations. They receive books, uniforms, footwear and food on a regular basis. Also donated are sports equipment that the children use to play cricket, badminton, football and other games. The students make sure that their unique classroom is kept neat and tidy by sweeping it themselves every morning. The school hours are from 9am to 11am for boys and 2pm to 4pm for girls.

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Kalasho Devi, who lives in a nearby slum said “We can’t afford private tuition as I have five daughters and two sons. The only way I can help them is by sending them to the free school. It is god’s gift to the poor like us, as even our children get the opportunity to study.”

The school maintains a record of each student who are formally registered with their name and photograph. Volunteers from surrounding areas also help in teaching these kids. The children have left their mark on the school by painting brightly coloured murals on the platform of the bridge. The school has roughly around 300 students.

A student Pappu walks 2kms to school daily and with a big smile on his face he says “I love this school. I come here for studies and to draw.”

We are being taught everyday to give back to the society. What better way than to help the needy by educating them so that they can have a decent chance to lead a life of integrity and escape from the depths of poverty. There are many out there who do their bit like Rajesh Kumar Sharma and Laxmi Chandra but imagine what impact the country would have if each one of us contributed a little time or funds to those in need. Let’s do our bit and hope that more and more people will join in.

“A kind word, a genuine smile, a selfless act can make a difference in someone’s day. Will today be that day?” Caroline Naoroji.

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Images courtesy – FB Page and Metro UK

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