Last week I visited the Project WHY Okhla Centre which runs after-school support for 350 children from the nearby underprivileged communities. Some of the teachers established this centre 14 years ago, at the site of a dustbin.
They braved all kind of odds. Starting off as a tent– they not only had to brave the natural elements but also to contend with local goons breaking up the structure, which they repaired each day.
The teachers at the Project Why Okhla Centre do not wear capes, but they’re heroes all the same:
Sophiya and Pushpa, who helped set up a school in a dump-yard despite opposition from local goons and politicians.
Mithu, who has not let his lack of legs get in the way of teaching computers to children in his community.
Naresh, who has turned dozens of near-dropouts into toppers. I met a bunch of his students and will be sharing their success stories in the coming weeks.
For Valentines day, we could show them the same love that they continue to show their students.
If they do not receive funds these teachers will have to work without salaries in the coming months. That’s why I’m requesting my blog family to come together in a blogathon to support a fundraiser for these teachers.
Named by Holly Jahangiri, this Festival of giving is called:
(Show the Love, Save a School)
[easy-tweet tweet=”Flowers last a week, learning is a lifelong gift. #HelpMithuSaveSchool” user=”damyantig” hashtags=”#giving #Valentines” url=”https://buff.ly/2BwY7og”]
The giving can be in the form of contributions, or it could take the form of sharing on social media.
To participate in the blogathon,
- Write one or more posts to talk about love, any kind of love at all, and about honoring the ones you love.
- At the end of your post, mention and link to the #HelpMithuSaveSchool fundraiser
- Add the graphic above to your post and sidebar, with links to this post, or the fundraiser.
Kids at the Okhla Centre, Project WHY
Do’s and don’ts for the blogathon:
Please do not add links to your blog home page, only to the blogathon post.
All links will be moderated before being added. If you don’t see your link a few hours after you’ve added it, please drop a link in the comments.
If you plan to post in the coming weeks, till the 28th, you can drop a line in the comments.
If you’d like to give some additional help, please add the blogathon logo to your sidebar, and link it to this post or the fundraiser.
Pls share the posts on all social media using the hashtag #HelpMithuSaveSchool.
Visit the others on the linky list, and share the love. More the merrier!
CLICK here to find the #HelpMithuSaveSchool fundraiser
You can post once or more from the 14th to the 28th February, and add link of the post to this list:
The brave-heart teachers of Project WHY . Picture credit: Sanjay Padiyar
What are you doing this Valentine’s day? Would you like to write for this Blogathon? Would you like to save a school on this Valentine’s day?
Please join Daily (w)rite on its Facebook Page in case you’d like to be heard by this community. If you liked this post, you can have posts delivered to your inbox by subscribing via email on the sidebar.
So happy to be a part of this Damyanti. Doing my bit by writing a post and spreading the word but you guys are doing a fantastic job of it! Well done with your efforts! More power to you, Anou’di and everyone else who is working hard behind the scenes to get this going.
Thanks so much for your share, Esha.
If you share your post on your FB profile or page, please consider keeping the settings public because we are receiving maximum donations via Facebook so far. Pls also add it to the linky list, so others can read it.
All the hard work has been done by Anoudi and the teachers. I’m just trying to tell their story to as many kind folk as possible in the hope they can receive the support they deserve.
Oh sure, will add it to the linky list. I think I have. Let me go check it right away!
Hope the fundraiser is doing well. Please keep us posted! I shared it on my FB page, but I’m not sure that helped.
Thanks so much!
We need to reach out to wider audiences so public sharing of the fundraiser will help. If the sharing of your post on FB is made public, more kind souls might see it and help these brave teachers out.
The fundraiser has reached a halfway mark, but it has to reach the target in order for the teachers to keep doing the good work–helping the community get employment, and stay away from crime.
What an amazing cause! Thanks so much for sharing this. I wouldn’t have known about it otherwise.
I’m trying to get these teachers the help they need–please pass the word on. We’re hoping to keep the school open, with help from everyone.
What a worthy effort, Damyanti. RT!
Thanks, so much, Jacqui. Please help share their story with others so we can find help for them.
So proud of all that you do, Damyanti! I will sure continue to spread the word.
Thank you so much Parul
Thanks, Parul. It is the teachers, and not me, who are doing the work. I hope, with support from all of us, their school will continue to shape lives.
Great work that you are doing. I will do some such thing of my own when the time is right.
Have posted my post and linked it here and retweeted tweets with the hashtag #HelpMithuSaveSchool
You are doing a commendable job, Damyanti! Proud of you!!
Shilpa, it is the teachers who are doing a commendable job. I’m just going with my belief that there are more good people in this world than there are bad, and if the right words reach the right hearts, they will open for Naresh, Mithu, Sophiya and Pushpa.
In 18 years, Naresh has had the kind of impact on people that I haven’t had in all my decades: his students from the slum community are applying for PHDs, have joined the army, done MBAs, working in offices and NGOs. I met some of them last week.
Mithu has a bigger grin than me at all times on all days, and he walks on his hands while he teaches computers to kids at their desks.
Sophiya and Pushpa created this school from nothing, in a dumpyard, surrounded by druggies and goons and those defecating in the open–the school still gets un-reachable due to rain on some days a year.
THEY deserve the kudos and the love.
I’m just the messenger, lucky enough to have friends like you, who are helping me talk about these teachers to one and all.
I am guilty of not yet being able to post anything. Little caught up with my racefor7, I promise to write something ASAP. Sharing this post to redeem myself a bit.
Balaka, you’re busy doing good work, which is equally important!
There is no need to feel guilty, because we are all doing the best we can, in the time that we have.
The blogathon is on for the next 15 days. Write any time at all, and post when you can once the racefor7 is done. Thank you for doing your bit despite your hectic schedule. Me, and everyone at Project WHY are grateful for your help, and can’t praise you enough for the work you’re doing to bring attention to rare diseases.
Project Why is “wow” ❤️ Sharing to spread the campaign!
Thanks so much! Really appreciate your tweet love.
Hope we can all spread the word about these teachers, and they can get the support they deserve. A little goes a long way in this school.
Thank you so much Christy
Real brave people fighting against all odds for good. Will write my blog post in a few days and link up. Thanks for coordinating with blog hop to spread the word.
Thank you so much, Mahathi. These teachers can use any help we can give them. A small donation goes a long way at this school.
Thank you so much Mahathi for your support.
Every time you write about these projects, I can feel your passion and dedication, D! I will do a blog post on it next week to help spread the word.
Shilpa, that’s so kind, thankyou.
My ‘passion and dedication’ are laughable when compared to these teachers.
With such few resources at hand, they’re still willing to work without salaries for their kids. I can’t imagine going hungry in order to teach!
I really hope we can fundraise the amount, because come March-April, most of the teachers at this centre might go without pay if we don’t.
Thank you for your support Shilpa. means the world to us
Im having a bit of trouble finding the fundraiser button in this. . Could you mention it to me separately (on any social media we are in)
Sorry. Just saw it now.
I’ve edited the post to make it clearer.
Thank you for your support–love that you contributed as well!! I, and these teachers, are truly grateful.
Thank you for your support. We at project why feel humbled and blessed
I admire you so much for the work you do, D. When we met I could see the passion when you spoke about your projects and books. So proud of you for doing what you do.
I sure will be spreading the word about this.
Thankyou, Soumya. Project WHY is all I talk about these days, because I can’t get over the fact that some people can do SO much good work without any support other than donations.
I really appreciate your kindness–it was a joy to meet you. I love your honest take on things.
Thank you so much Soumya.
Such a warm gesture Damayanti. I sure would love to spread the word about it and be of some help to the good cause. Will be linking up in couple of days. Thanks for giving this opportunity to be part of this noble drive.
Thank you for your support, Anagha! It was a pleasure meeting you, and that bookmark has got pride of place on my shelves now. Please write more about all your craft, I had NO idea you do such beautiful work.
Thank you so much Anagha for your warm support
What a great way to share the love. It sounds like these teachers and kids need it.
Thankyou, Nick. These kids deserve all the support they can get.
Thank you Nick for your support
You’re an amazing soul!
It is the Project Why teachers who are amazing. I’m just counting on the generosity and kindness of the blogging community to spread awareness, and hopefully, chip in with a bit.
I posted about it this week and my post will go up on February 25!
I just read your post! Thank you so much…I hope some of your audience will be inspired to donate. A few dollars go a long way in India.
Cannot think of a better way to celebrate love. I am rooting for Project Why and this school! And yes, I will be blogging about this. ?
Me neither. Love of education, and of teaching is what this blogathon is all about. Bless your kind heart for your support–these teachers are so passionate and generous in their work, I hope they would not have to go without salaries in the coming months.
Just published my post, Damyanti. Thanks for hosting this. I know we’ll be able to exceed the target of the Fundraiser campaign. ?
Thanks, Vidya! Will go and check the linky list. I hope your words come true. Posts like yours make me feel less lonely, and give me courage.
Hugs, Damyanti!
thank you Damyanti for giving us this wonderful way to celebrate love this Valentine’s Day. These teachers are an inspiration to all of us and truly deserve our help. They have all walked the extra mile and less travelled road with a smile. It is our turn to show them love by helping them save their school. I am grateful to everyone who is and will be part of this love story.
Thanks, Anoudi, for creating Project WHY, and for letting us all be a part of the Project WHY family. With help from my generous blog family, I’m sure we will hit the target.