SHISHU Vatika is one of the special projects of Sewa Bharati Delhi, where children of the women working as maid servant, labourer or factory worker, come for six hours every day. Started on August 13, 2008 the project is presently run in the premises of Matrichhaya Miyanwali Nagar. A total of 25 children come here everyday. The Shishu Vatika begins at 8.30 am and concludes at 2.00 pm. The children are entertained with different activities like prayer, Gayatri Mantra, Shanti Paath, yoga, patriotic songs, etc. They are also imparted the education up to primary level.
Apart from formal education, the children are inculcated some good habits like paying respect to elders, cleanliness, etc. The children are allowed to watch television also for half an hour daily.
Rubina, the mother of Afsana, works as domestic servant. Before admitting Afsana in the Shishu Vatika, she had to take this small girl with her every day. But she thought if she did not impart her education now she may have to work as domestic servant in her life. Therefore, she resolved to teach her at any cost. She feels a remarkable change in Afsana after she admitted her in Shishu Vatika.
According to Shri Daljit Manchanda, a senior activist of the Matrichhaya Kendra, after imparting education up to primary level, the children are admitted in a nearby Municipal Corporation School. The school authorities extend every possible help in this endeavour. This year 20 children were admitted in the MCD school. An interaction of these children is organised with the students of Public Schools.
There is no summer vacation or winter vacation in the Vatika like other regular schools. Since one of the prime objectives of the project is to extend help to the working women, if there is a holiday in the Vatika how will they manage the children? The discipline, good manners and the cleanliness of the children show that it is really a special project of Sewa Bharati Delhi.
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