Since March 2020, all educational institutions in India are shut and continue to remain so except for the lax shown for the 10th and 12th standards very recently. The rest of the kids are still deprived of proper classes. Things are challenging for those who do not have access to the internet or television.
In an attempt to help out, Ashok Kurmi, a social worker from the City of Dreams, Mumbai, has converted a bus into a classroom for underprivileged students.
As the bus was not in use at present, Kurmi thought of utilizing it productively. This mobile school was launched on India’s 75th Independence Day, the 15th of August 2021.
These students live on the sidewalks or in the slums and can only dream of online education. Kurmi noticed this and planned to aid them through this initiative.
The school is currently operating at the old Antop Hill Post Office and they are adding several departments in a phase-wise manner.
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The move is funded by Sions Friends Circle, a group of friends giving away a percentage of their income for social welfare. The NGO has been doing a lot more work during the pandemic and even before that. Kurmi dressed as Santa and distributed masks during last Christmas. Likewise, he dressed as Spiderman and sanitized public spaces of the city. In another unique initiative, he gave a free haircut to the slum dwellers by dressing as a Doraemon.
You may contact Kurmi on +91-9619405051 to join the cause and suggest additions to the departments.