- Didi is the true story of Shaheen Mistri, who dedicated her life to the education of poor children.
- Shaheen grew up in different countries because her father was a banker and frequently moved from one place to another.
- When she was 12, she visited an orphanage in Jakarta. The lives of the children there made a deep impression on her.
- During her summer vacations in India, she worked at the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai.
- She began to notice the great difference between the lives of the rich and the poor.
- In 1989, Shaheen saw three children begging at a traffic signal in Mumbai. She then decided that her life would have more meaning if she stayed in India and worked for children.
- Her parents allowed her to stay in India on the condition that she joined a good college and later went abroad for higher studies.
- Though admissions had closed, Father D'Cruz gave her admission to St. Xavier's College after hearing about her wish to work for the children of India.
- Shaheen began visiting the poor areas of Mumbai to understand the lives of the people there.
- In one such area, she met Sandhya, an eighteen-year-old girl, and they soon became friends.
- Shaheen started visiting Sandhya's small house every day after college.
- Children from the neighbourhood began coming to the house and asked Shaheen to teach them English, Mathematics and songs.
- The children lovingly called Shaheen “Didi,” meaning elder sister.
- Shaheen realised that India had people who could teach, places that could be used as classrooms and money that could support children's education. She wanted to bring them together.
- This simple idea led to the birth of Akanksha.
- Shaheen approached twenty schools for a classroom where she could teach poor children, but all of them refused.
- Finally, the Principal of Holy Name High School in Colaba gave her a room, and it became the first Akanksha centre.
- Shaheen brought volunteers from St. Xavier's College to teach the children and wanted the classroom to be a safe and happy place for them.
- Akanksha formally started in 1991 with 15 children in one class.
- Over the years, it grew to 58 centres and six schools with more than 3,500 children.
- The children were taught English and Mathematics along with values, self-respect and confidence.
- Shaheen's life shows how care for others, determination and education can bring hope and positive change to the lives of poor children.