This gives middle-class schools an opportunity to help fight illiteracy and support quality education for students in slum neighborhoods so they get the skills they need to find and hold a job.

Through her organization, the Akanksha Foundation, Mistri creates supplemental education centers that operate alongside, or even within, government-run schools. Children who attend regular public schools in slum communities spend another 2.5 hours per day in Akanksha (Hindi for "aspiration") Centers before or after their regular school hours.

The inspiration for Akanksha Centers came to Mistri in graduate school when she was volunteering to tutor children in Mumbai's slums. While teaching a Hindi-speaking girl English, curious children gathered to listen to their conversations. Over the next few months, their sessions evolved into regular evening classes for the children.

Mistri saw that these children were doubly disadvantaged by not learning English, the preferred language of the job market, and because they received little more than a third-rate education – the bare basics – from government-run schools. If you take a tour of municipal schools in India, you will find leaking roofs, no power, a dearth of working latrines, desks without chairs, no laboratories, absent teachers, an untenably low teacher-student ratio and no enrollment process to assure that every child attends school.

This system produces more dropouts than graduates and spawns more criminals than honest, hardworking citizens. Typically, students are pushed forward through the fourth grade without assessing what they are learning. When exams are introduced in the fifth grade many children fail and eventually drop out. Altogether, nearly half of enrolled students drop out during their first five years.

Indian law fails to guarantee the quality of government schools' infrastructure or teaching. As a result, the educational system creates a class system that segregates those who can afford to get a private, English-language education from those who cannot.

When she started, Mistri persuaded some friends to help here provide supplemental educational opportunities for these children. "I was

Mistri with Akanksha children

hell-bent on taking the children out of the slums to show them that life can be different," says this deceptively soft-spoken young woman for whom "determination" could be her middle name.

Since 1991, she has built a network of 37 Akanksha Centers in Maharashtra's capital city Mumbai and the city of Pune. The centers focus on intellectual and emotional development, enabling children to take control of life and make the most of their talents.

The Akanksha Centers are located in underutilized donated spaces such as upper-class private schools, colleges, corporate offices, and science centers. This keeps costs low and enables the centers to build alliances with businesses and other organizations that help by providing space and capable, eager volunteers who can serve as student mentors.

"Our program brings together available resources – the minds of less fortunate children, volunteers, underutilized spaces and resources – to change the way children learn," Mistri said.

During its first four years of operation, Akanksha relied on donations of supplies including books and paper, and all its staff were unpaid volunteers. They raised US$500 per year to pay for a school bus, which was a huge investment for them at the time, Mistri said.

Today, Akanksha's programs are free to all students. Each Akanksha Center is operated on a budget of about US$55,000 annually that is raised from businesses and other individuals and with events such as "Art for Akanksha" and a Drama Club. Akanksha has established fundraising centers in New York City and the U.K.

Targeting Children with the Greatest Needs

Mistri aims to equip children who attend the centers with the same life chances and skills that middle-class children take for granted. She

Girl at Akanksha's St. Joseph's Center

believes that better jobs and an improved quality of life will naturally follow.

Before creating a center, Akanksha's social workers study the issues values, cultures and social characteristics of the surrounding community (including income, parents' education level and family structures) to ensure that the center is responsive to its local conditions. Students are enrolled using criteria to select children who are likely to benefit most (see box below).

Who is an Akanksha Child? The typical profile of children who enroll in an Akanksha Center: Is one of many siblings Lives in a small hut or in temporary shelters Witnesses regular demolition of her/his home Does not have access to adequate electricity or running water Does not have a balanced diet/is often hungry Lives among dirt/damp/noise pollution Is exposed to high levels of disease and infection Is exposed to drugs, alcoholism, smoking and domestic abuse Has no physical or emotional security Is often physically or verbally abused by family or members of the community Often has low self-esteem Usually has uneducated parents Family income is inadequate to support needs Parents don't have long-term stable jobs Has little time to be a child because of housework and looking after siblings Is often home without adult supervision

When older children who have never attended school apply to an Akanksha Center, Akanksha social workers help get them admitted to a formal school and work with the parents to raise their awareness about education.

All parents who want to enroll their children must watch a video that provides a detailed explanation of the Akanksha concept and program, its duration and timing and the commitments required. To enroll a child, both the parents and the child must show a desire to join the center and an understanding of the required commitments.

Preference is given to children with at least one parent who seems actively interested in their education. Mistri believes that parents, children and schools should all be part of an educational process that does not end until a child finishes school at age 18, a key principle of the centers.

Parents are encouraged to participate in monthly meetings and volunteer as classroom assistants. Building on its experience of tapping underused resources, Akanksha supports students' families with health care by enlisting medical students to provide care for them in training hospitals.

Working hard at Akanksha's St. Xavier Center

When a child is accepted to a center, the center's education coordinator conducts an assessment of the child's learning levels. The student is formally enrolled after the child has attended the center regularly for a month.

The centers strive to develop a relationship with children so that they can speak openly about what happens in their homes and at school. They learn about drug and alcohol abuse, family planning, the need for religious tolerance and other topics that build their ability to be fully participating citizens.

Small is Beautiful

The Akanksha model aims to bridge the gap between what the formal school system provides – rote methods that do little to promote learning and teaching that doesn't beyond the classroom – and what students need. For a few hours each day, Akanksha Centers give disadvantaged kids a chance to thrive in a classroom where there is a low ratio of students to trained teachers and volunteers, and students receive personalized instruction.

"In order to grow without losing sight of quality, each of our centers is kept small," Mistri said. "The teacher-student ratio is 1-to-30, with ten volunteers supplementing that."

Akanksha Centers have developed their own multiple teaching systems and also adapt other educational systems such as Montessori School methods. The centers emphasize a hands-on approach to learning. For example, a science teacher brought a mobile phone to class so that students could create an entire project around it, learning about communication technology and the mobile phone business.

Teachers use innovative methodologies to teach English, math and values. "By innovative we mean non-formal methods of teaching through music, dance, games, debates – within and outside the classrooms," Mistri said. "Field trips are also organized with a view to being educational. The kids have fun, yet they come back with some learning. Even when we host Diwali (a Hindu festival) or Christmas parties, everything is geared to teaching these children."

Akanksha student in art class

The Akanksha curriculum covers ten grades beginning with the first level for five-year-olds. Students advance to higher levels according to age and learning abilities.

Classes focus on creating a strong educational foundation, building self-esteem, and having fun while learning in the first seven levels so that children enjoy their childhood. Activities including art, dance, music, crafts and outings. Crafts are woven into the English, math and values curricula.

Students in levels eight, nine and ten focus on preparing to get hired and perform in jobs in the competitive job market. They are taught to prepare resumes, conduct mock interviews and are exposed to different careers with visits from businesses and visitors who give talks and answer questions.

Akanksha children participating in an art class

Mistri doesn't dismiss the role of struggling public schools – every child is enrolled in a public school where they will earn the education certificates required for future employment – but she believes her program delivers what employers want the most.

Delivering on Dreams

Akanksha's staff works to keep curricula up-to-date and continue the process of innovation. "We have looked at our children's needs, the realities of the market realities and our goals," said Akanksha's Human Resources Director Lopa Gandhi. "The curricula are revised every year based on best practices at our different centers, and keeping in view the changes in the formal schooling system."

"We want Akanksha children to have a strong educational foundation," Mistri adds. "We want them to have a deep sense of self-esteem and to have a good time in a space where they can be children. We want them to grow into concerned citizens. And we want them to leave with a job. We want to encourage them to dream. But, more importantly, we want to empower them to deliver on their dreams."

Akanksha students are active dreamers and are slowly turning those dreams into reality. Sixteen-year-old Mahesh Bhimnathi, a student of Class XI, has become a serious and determined young man. He spends his spare time writing poetry about issues that are important to him. He is working hard toward his goal of becoming a successful computer engineer, as demonstrated by the 79 percent he scored last year in school-leaving exams.

Akanksha mentor and mentee

Akanksha recruits these mentors by approaching the corporate social responsibility or human resources departments of businesses. They assess the degree of employee interest and availability at a business and make a presentation to interested employees.

Partner organizations encourage staff members who serve as mentors to develop relationships with students by teaching them a skill or hobby, attending festival celebrations or simply playing in school sports matches. This type of interaction builds long-term connections between the centers and their partners.

Akanksha has evolved strict parameters for choosing Akanksha students for mentoring (see box below).

Eligibility for Mentoring: A child must have attended at least 50 percent of classes at an Akanksha Center during the last six months. A child must be studying either in formal school in standard VIII or IX (both are crucial external board exam years) or must be at least 16 years old. Once they have been "shortlisted" for a particular program, eligible students are chosen at random, considering logistical constraints of travel, program timing, etc.

Mentors share a laugh with their mentees

Making Teaching Attractive

Akanksha attracts talented teachers by offering them extraordinary support and professional development opportunities. Teachers are drawn from a variety of backgrounds and can be qualified teachers, housewives or even business school graduates.

"Every three months there is a goal-setting exercise for each teacher and we have an annual goal-setting retreat as well," Mistri said. "Apart from that, goals are reviewed each month and quarter. Every six months each department sits with the managing director for a review of achieved targets and the reasons for delays or goals not met. For the centers, we present a center audit to the board every six months."

The centers are given a basic framework that covers issues such as how to create a mix of different activities and how much time to devote to different subjects. Each center then develops its own curriculum, tailored to the levels of its students. Teachers are encouraged to judge individual students' preparedness and ability to learn, and the need for revision and reinforcement.

"We have a 360-degree appraisal system for all staff and teachers," Mistri said. "The overall parameters are related to their work, attitudes, capabilities and growth potential."

The Value of Volunteers

Each center has a head teacher, an assistant teacher and a helper who is usually a mother from the community. The helper collects children from their neighborhoods and brings them to the center by bus. All these staff members receive a salary.

Early on, Akanksha learned the value of recruiting volunteers to assist teachers in the classroom. Their activities include helping small groups of children individually with reading activities, holding storytelling sessions, making teaching aids, helping younger children with classroom activities like cutting and pasting while doing projects and craftwork, and helping during outings and field visits.

Volunteer Stephen Hanmer (above): "At Akanksha we find that drama empowers our children to express themselves effectively and creatively. It provides an enjoyable simple and effective teaching and learning experience. Truly drama has provided our children with a language that transcends the prejudices placed against them by society."

Like the teaching staff, the volunteers come from all walks of life and may be students, working professionals or housewives. They are asked to make a commitment of a minimum of one year during which they must spend at least three hours per week at the centers. Many eventually increase their involvement and give more time.

Volunteers are recruited by word-of-mouth. Some volunteers recruit other volunteers by making presentations in colleges, schools and other locations such as Akanksha art stalls where the students' art is sold, and at Art for Akanksha events and musical shows.

Students at Akanksha's St. Joseph Center

Volunteer candidates are interviewed and evaluated, then receive an orientation that includes visits to a center and community and training about how to understand and work with children at the centers. They can attend ongoing half-day trainings each month on Akanksha methodologies such as teaching through storytelling and other innovative teaching methods.

"A lot of the training actually happens through volunteers' observation of teachers in the classroom," Gandhi said.

"We have systems and processes in place, complete with manuals that document the curriculum and elucidate how to run Akanksha-type centers and our volunteer and mentor programs," Mistri adds.

Akanksha's 37 centers are staffed by more than 300 teachers and volunteers, and get support from 55 mentors. They have successfully steered the first two batches of alumni toward better livelihoods

Enjoying childhood: Shaheen Mistri with Akanksha children

Mohar, an Akanksha graduate, has cracked the job market, having just completed a housekeeping course at Radha Krishna Hospitality Services. He is looking forward to a successful career.

Asked to reflect on his days at the Akanksha Centers, Mohar responds enthusiastically, "If Akanksha had not happened to me ten years ago, I would be loafing around like my other friends today or would have remained illiterate." Today he is a confident young man who feels proud when talking to "big" people in English.

Working Within the System

Akanksha also works within the formal school system by grasping an opportunity provided by the the Maharashtra state government's adopt-a-school program. Akanksha regularly adopts municipal schools. In the past eight months, Akanksha has formed partnerships with three schools and one government-aided school.

Government-school teachers are trained to use Akanksha's teaching methods for classroom management, giving positive feedback to children, computer education, and the mental, social and physical benefits of extracurricular activities such as dance, music, storytelling and art. "We've placed our own teachers in some schools so that they serve as live teacher trainers," Gandhi notes. At present, there are ten teacher trainers.

Akanksha also tries to make government-run schools more welcoming and conducive to learning. It begins by sprucing up schools and adding cheerful touches to the physical environment. Bulletin boards and paintings by children are used to add color to classrooms. Libraries have been set up in some schools. Parent-teacher associations and interactions are encouraged.

Akanksha's presence both outside and within public schools creates the possibility for more widespread educational reform – an exciting prospect. "My role at Akanksha could never have been offered by the corporate sector," says K. Sriram manager of Akanksha's Municipal School Project. "It is one of the most highly challenging jobs in the market and keeps me stimulated and on my toes! Just to see the joy on the face of kids at the end of the day because of something I did is a real tonic."

The Akanksha Foundation
Voltas House, 'C'
T.B. Kadam Marg
Chnchpokli
Mumbai-400033
Tel: 022-23729880
Email: akankshafoundation@vsnl.com
Web site: www.akanksha.org

• The Accountability Chain: Engaging Schools, Communities and the Private Sector in Education Improvement (an Overview), by Stephanie Gottlieb
• Changing Learning for a Changing World (An Overview), by Michele Jolin
• Enriching Teaching by Enriching Teachers (an Overview), by Stephanie Gottlieb
• From Preachers to Teachers: New Techniques in KwaZulu Natal, by Edwin Naidu
• The Luiz Freire Cultural Center: Tropical Hothouse of Literacy, by Shannon Walbran • [Versión en español]
• Respecting Parents, Teachers and Staff Helps Children to Learn, by Freda Wolf de Romero • [Versión en español]
• The School is the Community: Building Respect Between Generations, by James Wilson
• Sister Cyril's Army of Barefoot Teachers, by Dr. Arundhati Ray
• Tião Rocha: Brazilian Prince of the Methodology of Fun, by Shannon Walbran • [Versión en español]
• Undoing a Kind of Tyranny in South India: Education with Representation, by Manisha Gupta
• What Communities Can Teach Themselves, Self–Managed Learning in Southern India, by Vanaja Banagiri

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