Pehchaan The Street School:A Ray Of Hope For Every Child

March 27, 2025

Pehchaan The Street School:A Ray Of Hope For Every Child

“BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE TOMORROW”

Remember Naina Mathur from Hichki?

She had always dreamed of being a teacher but due to her Tourette syndrome, it was not easy for her.

After facing countless rejections she secured a position at a prestigious school. But she was assigned to 9F—the class no one wanted to teach. These students were from underprivileged backgrounds and that elite school treated them as outsiders. These students also lost faith in learning and were labelled as Notorious troublemakers.

It was not easy for Naina Mathur to teach them but unlike other teachers, who see them as failures she saw them as potential change-makers— but they were lacking opportunities and were stuck in their family-given lineage. She had different teaching methods for them that aligned with them—turning lessons into games, using real-life examples, and overall combining academic knowledge with practical experience. She created a safe space for them and treated them as children, not as an outsider. Slowly and steadily her efforts began to show results. She knew that these students were capable of great things—if only they were given a chance.

She fought against evil societal norms which came in between, she became more than just a teacher for them.

Visit Day

It has been a year now since she started her teaching journey with this school and these students, now there is no different section for underprivileged, children to study together without discrimination.

One fateful afternoon, one of her students told her about Pehchaan The Street School.

She added- “that school is not like ours. It's on the street and delivers free education to underprivileged children”

Curious, she decided to visit Pehchaan The Street School on the same afternoon.

When she entered she saw that children sat on a mat and their eyes were stuck on young volunteers who were teaching them.

She saw the reflection of herself and class 9F from one year back—reminiscing. Volunteers were teaching by giving real-life examples, interacting closely with the children and building a safe space for children for whom ,once attaining education felt like a distant dream.She also got to know that they also provide financial support to their children.

While leaving she bumped into a boy, one of the students of Pehchaan The Street School.

“what are you working on?” she asked him

The boy eagerly showed his notebook to her and enthusiastically replied- “Teacher”.

This shows his belief in Pehchaan The Street School, as what once felt like a distant dream is now a reality.

Naina smiled. “You will be”.She said.

That day she thought about what she fought for in one classroom is now happening on a large scale.

Therefore she decided to promote this initiative more and more because countless Nainas and 9Fs are waiting for a chance.

Introduction - Pehchaan The Street School

Pehchaan The Street School is a ten-year-old organization with around ten centres that have been delivering free and Quality education to more than 1600 underprivileged students.

This is a type of conventional school in an unconventional form, starts in the afternoon and is filled with happy sounds. Here, learning is not limited by four walls, they go beyond textbooks and provide skill-based training, with a powerful emphasis on building confidence and social responsibility, which results in the holistic development of children. They offer vocational training and financial literacy keeping in mind the demands of today’s modern world.They hold workshops on life skills and community engagement.

Volunteers maintained and ran this organization and is supported by crowdfunding.

They are driven by the values of empathy, inclusivity, innovation and responsibility. They encourage students to share their unique stories, customs, and dreams and have affected more than 5000 lives by now.

Moreover, they also offer community engagement through which children get exposure to new scenarios, new people, and new stories, and learn about lifestyles and perspectives.

Recently, Fat Lulu sent Pizza and pasta boxes for the children at the Noida centre, transforming a regular day to a tasty celebration.

Also, Karigari Restaurant of Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi sent meal boxes for Pehchaan The Street School’s children at Noida and GTB Nagar Centre, filling their stomachs with tasty foods and hearts with warm.

Challenges

Lack of Funding- This is the most important need for an NGO to work successfully.

Lack Of Resources- Due to lack of funding NGOs are unable to fulfil many requirements many times.

Need for more volunteers- Pehchaan The Street School is a volunteer-driven organisation and dedicated volunteers are one of the major needs.

Inadequate infrastructure - It affects the delivery of education and limits access for children.

Ways You Can Support Pehchaan The Street School

• Volunteer -on the ground or online and contribute your time as per your availability.

• Internship -on the ground or online , one can choose from multiple positions as per interest. All interns get a certificate after completion of the internship.

•Member-Membership is for everyone who can't commit time or can't work either online or offline. One can also donate a certain amount and become a member of the trust.

Once in life, we all should be a part of such a great cause.

To know more about Pehchaan The Street School visit the following links-

Website-

https://pehchaanstreetschool.org/

Facebook page link :

https://www.facebook.com/PehchaanTheStreetSchoolOfficial/

Instagram page link -

https://instagram.com/pehchaanstreetschool?utm_source=ig_profile_share&igshid=181sger2fozl7

YouTube channel -

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXd4gnTazJh3JugKENt5yog

Twitter

https://twitter.com/Pehchaan_School?s=09