Giving dropouts one more chance to education

Hyderabad: Nineteen-year-old Yadamma is engaged to an autorickshaw driver. But despite opposition from home, she is determined to complete her Class X before tying the knot.

Yadamma is one among 20 students, mostly school dropouts, living in a slum near the Miyapur Metro station, who study in a one-room school run by Chottu Ki

Education

(CKE), a NGO that has been working here for four years now.

When TOI visited the place, it found students — aged from eight to 19 — sitting on mats and loudly reading out Hindi alphabets from the blackboard. Parents of most children are either beggars or do odd jobs.

Founded by Yuvaneshwari K, CKE provides a one-year bridge course to dropouts, and helps them join school again. A scientist with a Hyderabad-based generic pharma company, 33-year-old Yuvaneshwari started the NGO after moving here from Chennai in 2016. Initially, she started teaching child beggars near KPHB Metro station on weekends, along with colleagues and friends. Eventually, with the help of a charitable organisation, she managed to get those children into residential schools. Thus, was born the desire to help more child beggars join mainstream.

“Our first hurdle was convincing parents to let their children study and not beg — that meant a dent in their income. The second challenge was to develop a basic curriculum, which would suit a mixed group. We also had to ensure that when admitted to schools, the students they stayed there and did not return to their old ways,” she said.

So far, CKE has worked with 55 children, of which 28 are now enrolled in mainstream schools. Her team includes about 50 people, including those who provide funds, clothes, guidance on how to help the children, and draw up the curriculum, etc.

“I dropped out in Class VI,” said 15-year-old Raju. “I used to collect garbage for money. But now I enjoy studying here. I love photography and Akka (Yuva) has said if I complete my education she will enrol me in a multimedia course.”

Yuvaneshwari’s efforts have given these children and teenagers a chance to dream of a secure future. “After learning to sew and embroider here, I stitch my own clothes,” Yadamma beams.