PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Pagdandi began in 2007 as an open-air school run on the banks of the River Yamuna at Kudsia Ghat. It has now developed into a regular informal school run by Swechha volunteers for children of Jagdamba Camp, a slum community in Sheikh Sarai, South Delhi. We aim to integrate and inspire underprivileged children through sessions on life skills, environmental responsibility and active citizenship, an interactive library (Kitaab Ghar), film screenings and excursions, children’s festivals, and performing arts. The Right to Education campaign is an important element of Pagdandi, where we strive to secure places in government schools for those slum children who are missing out on formal education.

FOCUS AREA – Life skills, sexual and reproductive health, active citizenship, access to education, creative learning and development, interventions targeted at adolescents, employability training.

KEY ACTIVITIES- Workshops, exposure trips, capacity building programs, festivals, film screenings, campaigns, Kitaab Ghar (children’s library) sessions, vacation camps.

TARGET GROUP- Children and adolescents of Jagdamba camp, a slum community in South Delhi.

OUTREACH AND IMPACT- Since its beginning in 2009, Pagdandi has directly engaged more than 1000 children, 250 volunteers and 1,000 community residents. Through the Right to Education campaign more than 150 children have been enrolled into formal schools.

Pagdandi’s annual festivals have been attended by more than 2,000 people including community residents..The children have been part of mega city level environmental campaigns such as ‘Spotted’ and social movements such as ‘9 is mine’. Two dedicated physical spaces for the children – Kitaab Ghar and the Creative Learning Center cater to the creative and learning needs of more than 100 children every month.