Sandeep is a 12- year-old who can leap 13 feet in the long jump, ranks second in his class, and can calculate the cost of a dozen bananas in a split second if given the current rate. Till a year ago he was a street child. Today, he is among 13 such children in west Delhi who have earned one of the top four positions in their respective classes.
In the last one year, in west Delhi alone 511 children have moved on from working as beggars, tea-stall helpers, housemaids and petty labourers to regular school. They have been accepted in 14 corporation schools in west Delhi with the effort of Chetna, an NGO that works to help children get off the streets and make something of themselves. Sandeep and his friend Nitish love to jump. They usually practice in open areas around their slums and parks, competing against one another.
With efforts and the right intentions voluntary organisations can do great work. Chetna's effort has proved this. Read more of this in a report by Krittika Sharma published in The Times of India...
