Residents from different sectors and societies in Dwarka have joined forces to spread literacy in the sub-city. They are holding classes for underprivileged children in the Sector 6 park behind Surya Apartments.
Classes are held every evening from 5 pm to 7 pm in summer, and from 3 pm to 5 pm in winter. About 40 kids, from pre-primary to Class IX, are being coached here, and some of them have even managed to get admission into government schools. Dwarka News
The group calls itself Stand 'n Stride.
Usha Zalpuri, a senior volunteer, says, "We teach them Math, Language and Arts. On Saturday, we train them for personality development. We try to give as much as we can — and all the members of Stand 'n Stride are friends. So it’s one big happy family."
Stand 'n Stride was founded by Amod Poddar, a resident of Surya Apartments, in 2015 in Tilak Nagar, west Delhi. After some time, he decided to start the initiative in Dwarka, and the journey began last year.
Poddar recalls, “I began teaching at a slum in Tilak Nagar. Soon, I had 8 to 10 kids. Then, out of impulse, I felt I could start something similar in Dwarka, where I thought the community was more aware and supportive of such causes. So I began connecting on my WhatsApp and Facebook groups, and here we are!”
“There are specialists in the group as well. For example, Hitendra Chaudhry looks after personality development and school admissions, while Kavita Malhotra is the cultural head. We also meet parents and counsel them. The community appreciates our efforts, and we often get new volunteers.”
