Project Asmita - Nurturing Young Talent From Underprivileged Sections

Peepal Tree Foundation, a non-profit organization, has turned a once-foul garbage disposal area into a thriving learning hub in Asiad Village, South Delhi. 

This initiative, known as Project Asmita, has breathed new life into the community, offering educational opportunities and skills training to underprivileged women and children.

Last year, Peepal Tree Foundation sought to convert a dirt-ridden garbage disposal area, derogatorily referred to as a "Dhalao," into a space of hope and progress. The organisation cleaned up the entire site, constructed a one-room school, and created an open play area for children. The vision behind Project Asmita was to provide equal opportunities to the less privileged sections of society.

This one-room school now serves as a small library of about 1500 books and has housed 5 tailoring machines. The library books are available in both Hindi and English, for reading and borrowing 6 days a week between 3 pm to 5:30 pm. The centre attracts society’s less privileged women and children who are below the poverty line to engage in learning and acquiring skills.

A free tailoring training class for women who work as domestic helps in the neighbourhood households is conducted 6 days a week along with academics, Math, Science, English, yoga, dance, music, taekwondo, regular counselling, and more for 60 less privileged children. 

So far, Project Asmita has substantially increased community participation in the area; and a batch of six to eight women become tailoring graduates every 3 months. Peepal Tree Foundation is a volunteer run organisation, for every program, the older children are given responsibility to manage the younger children. The staff at Project Asmita has been strict about the logging in and out timings of each child at the school, the children develop discipline as a result. 

Recently 4 children qualified for the Asian Taekwondo championship, which took place in Hyderabad on the 4th August 2023 and won Gold and Bronze medals. Project Asmita offers free tuition on subjects like Math, Science and English;  it brings in guest speakers and several organisations, and  counselling, to interact with the children on a regular basis.

Tamasooma Jotirgamayam’. When children stood up to receive the Medals, at the 7th South Asian Taekwondo Championship, the Indian National Anthem was played. Children shared- “Mam pata nahi kyu, us Khushi ki mouke per rona aagaya, aur laaga mere desh se bad kar kutch nahi hai”!  We hope these tears of gratitude will lead our precious generation towards Jyothi, the light.