Rajiv Neelu Kachwaha Public Charitable Trust

The Swati Project was started in the year 1990, and has completed 30 years of dedicated and sustained work in the slums of Delhi. It operates in two D Read moreelhi slums- Tigri which is perhaps the largest settlement in Delhi, and Kanak Durga, a smaller settlement but in the very heart of New Delhi. The project essentially focuses on children (non-formal and formal education support; motivation and income generation activities) and women (income generation activities and motivational support). At Swati, we try to ensure that our outreach extends to each and every resident of our basti, and that the span of our work is broad enough to improve all aspects of their lives. Towards this end, we have numerous educational programs for children of all ages (from age 3 onwards; health workshops, programmes which specifically focus on the health and well-being of pregnant women, young infants and new mothers; vocational training courses, campaigns on vital issues such as child sexual abuse, domestic violence, gender sensitization, hygiene, sanitation, menstrual health, pre/postnatal care, immunization and many more. We also have a well-stocked library for the benefit of basti dwellers and a computer training centre. Over the past 30 years, we have seen with satisfaction, our project grow, and the lives of many basti dwellers transform. There are many inspirational stories, which we have shared on our website (https://www.swatiproject.org/inspiring-stories/). These are just an illustration on how, with a little bit of support in the right direction, every child has the potential to blossom.  At Swati, we takes in children as young as 3 year old in our Balwari programme. Here, these very young children are introduced to early learning and basic education through the play and teaching method. We also start imparting self-awareness from this young age, to help protect slum children from the dangerous influences of their daily environment. Once the child reaches the age of 6, we endeavour to secure admission for it at a mainstream school. We carry out door-to-door campaigns to make sure every child of the basti attends school and there are no dropouts. Our Remedial Education Programme seeks to ensure that children in the basti, studying in mainstream schools are able to obtain the requisite support to carry on with their education and match up to their peers, inspite of their disadvantaged background and circumstances. We conduct after school classes, and also focus on skill development for this purpose.  Swati has a robust extra-curricular programme with a very wide range of activities to offer, from sports to arts & craft and theatre. We also take students on educational day trips and picnics. Our recreational and extra-curricular activities help our children in achieving an all-round development and to realise many of their hidden talents. Our vocational training and skill development programmes help to train the youth in the basti in a range of vocational activities, which transform their employment and self-earning abilities. Over the past 30 years, we have seen with satisfaction, our project grows, and the lives of many basti dwellers transform. There are many inspirational stories, which we share on this website. These are just an illustration of how, with a little bit of support in the right direction, every child has the potential to blossom.