Pavement Dwellers of Bhuleshwar & Chandanwadi - 2002-2007.
Crafting Livelihood: Weaving Flower Garlands on the Street
Smiles that transcend circumstances – where joy finds a way even in the simplest of lives.
Despite life on the streets, innocence, contentment and happiness shine like bright stars.
From the harsh streets to the soothing classrooms of the Chandanwadi school
Beyond the smiles: A Glimpse into the Unseen Struggles
Look at the kiddos! They are happy despite their challenging living situation on the pavements of Mumbai. They’re laughing, smiling and living in the moment. Capturing pure joy in the simplest things. And yet at times our child beneficiaries living on the pavements look so distracted and sad in the class that it breaks our hearts. This is the account of 7-year-old Tinku who, when asked why he looked so forlorn, said, “Teacher, whenever the BMC van passes by, they seize all our belongings left on the footpath where my family and I live. Yesterday evening, I climbed a tree and hid my small bags of rice and pulses there to keep them safe. But this morning, the crows tore open the food packets, scattering the grains all over the floor.” He wept, and so did I.
Streets to Classrooms: Parents’ Change of Heart
Sunbeam’s heart-warming journey of bringing smiles to Chandanwadi’s street kids through formal education. We owe this success to our Community Development Workers whose efforts at empowering the parents and changing their mindsets – have paid off. It’s so soothing to listen to the cheery voices of children ring out with the rhymes & songs. For the Sunbeam children, the future is no longer a fearful, unknown inevitability but a bright, sunny place full of discoveries to be made and opportunities to be explored. Children say with pride, “We no longer beg for food because we get midday meals at the school. Our parents instead of losing all their earnings to gambling, spend it on our dinner and basic needs. Didi, now our parents no longer insist that we weave flower garlands and sell them at the cost of our studies.” Our children’s voice conveys the impact of Sunbeam intervention in their lives.