CRY Volunteers North

Today, while discussing the works of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Monica Ali with my friend over a cuppa at the Oxford Book Store, epiphany struck me... That I was only among a smattering percentage of India's vast demography who had been to a high school and would be successfully completing her junior college ( graduation)... About 60% of girls my age in the country would have dropped out of college till now, would be married, raising kids and doomed forever to live a life of diffidence, impoverishment and ignorance. The boys would be working as cheap labour for factories, as domestic workers, as roadside beggars or worse still, as pimps and drug dealers... Sadly, education like most of the basic things in the country, is still not egalitarian. Though the middle class and the upper class is well educated, education in the proletariat is still elusive. The blame game names corrupt politicians, inefficient governments, inactive government teachers and also, the slimy and ugly working class

Today, while discussing the works of Jawahar Lal Nehru and Monica Ali with my friend over a cuppa at the Oxford Book Store, epiphany struck me... That I was only among a smattering percentage of India's vast demography who had been to a high school and would be successfully completing her junior college ( graduation)... About 60% of girls my age in the country would have dropped out of college till now, would be married, raising kids and doomed forever to live a life of diffidence, impoverishment and ignorance. The boys would be working as cheap labour for factories, as domestic workers, as roadside beggars or worse still, as pimps and drug dealers... Sadly, education like most of the basic things in the country, is still not egalitarian. Though the middle class and the upper class is well educated, education in the proletariat is still elusive. The blame game names corrupt politicians, inefficient governments, inactive government teachers and also, the slimy and ugly working clas

While deciding for a campaign, always be flexible as it might be that you would have to change your approach.Example : Dwarka postcard campaign. Initially it was decided that we would go for RTE campaign and target 25% reservation for EWSchildren in private schools. But after initial surveys we realised that first the government schools need to be disciplined.More than 50 households were surveyed in the Bharat vihar colony, Dwarka. Since there were Nagar Nigam and Rajkiya Sarvodaya school in the nearby area, so the survey had questions concerning government schools in the area as well. While going through the surveys it became apparent that locals were more interested in issues concerning government schools.What also compelled us to shift our focus was the apprehension that locals had for private schools.Since the RTE was implemented this year only and it was not binding on private schools to accomodate all the provisions in the Bill,we decided to shift our focus from private to govern

While deciding for a campaign, always be flexible as it might be that you would have to change your approach.Example : Dwarka postcard campaign. Initially it was decided that we would go for RTE campaign and target 25% reservation for EWSchildren in private schools. But after initial surveys we realised that first the government schools need to be disciplined.More than 50 households were surveyed in the Bharat vihar colony, Dwarka. Since there were Nagar Nigam and Rajkiya Sarvodaya school in the nearby area, so the survey had questions concerning government schools in the area as well. While going through the surveys it became apparent that locals were more interested in issues concerning government schools.What also compelled us to shift our focus was the apprehension that locals had for private schools.Since the RTE was implemented this year only and it was not binding on private schools to accomodate all the provisions in the Bill,we decided to shift our focus from private to gover

Image: Arjun Khosla Bhagirath sat huddled on the earthen floor with his demure wife. As I entered his tent, he looked up inquisitively and waved to a dry spot opposite him. Inside, a few bundles of clothes and vessels caught my attention. It had been pouring non stop on a July afternoon when I had taken respite in the make shift home of two construction workers in South Delhi. These were farmers who had arrived in the city, a few months back to embellish the pavements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. “The City is very different” Bhagirath opened the conversation. “Yes” I politely consented. “It’s not like the village where everyone knows each other. The milk here is like water. Back home my neighbors are looking after my fields. By the way, which village are you from,” he asked and “where do you study?” He swished out his mobile phone for a second to check his message while I marveled at his exuberance. “Any children?” I asked Bhagirath. “Two. Both Boys” he answered proudly. They were

Image: Arjun Khosla Bhagirath sat huddled on the earthen floor with his demure wife. As I entered his tent, he looked up inquisitively and waved to a dry spot opposite him. Inside, a few bundles of clothes and vessels caught my attention. It had been pouring non stop on a July afternoon when I had taken respite in the make shift home of two construction workers in South Delhi. These were farmers who had arrived in the city, a few months back to embellish the pavements for the 2010 Commonwealth Games. “The City is very different” Bhagirath opened the conversation. “Yes” I politely consented. “It’s not like the village where everyone knows each other. The milk here is like water. Back home my neighbors are looking after my fields. By the way, which village are you from,” he asked and “where do you study?” He swished out his mobile phone for a second to check his message while I marveled at his exuberance. “Any children?” I asked Bhagirath. “Two. Both Boys” he answered proudly