College students take up noble initiative, teach poor children

Tribune News Service

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Shimla, March 21

Around two years back, students of a couple of colleges started an NGO — Helping Hands Chamba — for slum children loitering around and begging. Till date, the NGO has 150 volunteer students, who teach around 70 children from the nearby slums.

“We used to feel bad for these children, and decided to educate them. Gradually, other students joined us in the initiative and today the NGO has 150 members,” said Sunny Suryavanshi, a BA final year student and the founder of the NGO.

Seeing their enthusiasm, their college professors and bureaucrats, too, chipped in to help these students in their endeavour. “A few days back, we were given Rs 30,000 by the Red Cross Society to buy books, notebooks, bags and carom boards for these children,” said 20-year-old Dinesh Sharma, Helping Hands vice-president.

“We hold classes for these children twice in a day. Once on the college premises when our classes are over, and later at some alternative place,” said Sharma.

The members contribute Rs 200 each every month for the NGO. “It’s not possible for us to contribute more as we, too, are students. We use it for the welfare of the children or other students who need some financial assistance. Recently, we helped three girl students in paying their college fee,” said Sunny.

Children around five-year-old and those in Class VIII to X are benefitted under the initiative. “We assess their level and teach them accordingly. Most of them are beginners,” said Sharma adding that they were getting a good response from them, who used to get upset on not being given homework.

“After we pass-out from the college, we will give the responsibility of the NGO to our juniors and will also continue to be a part of it as long as possible,” said Sharma.