[🌈1. Trace Shaheen Mistri’s journey from a privileged childhood to becoming a social worker committed to the education of poor children.
Answer:
Shaheen Mistri grew up in a comfortable family. Since her father was a banker, she lived in different countries and studied in many schools. However, some experiences during her childhood changed the way she looked at life.
When Shaheen was twelve and living in Jakarta, she visited an orphanage. The children she saw there made a deep impression on her, and she began visiting the orphanage every weekend. During her summer vacations in India, she also volunteered at the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai. There she saw confident blind children studying and playing happily.
Gradually, Shaheen became aware of the great difference between the lives of the rich and the poor. She saw children begging on the streets while she travelled in an air-conditioned car. She noticed food being wasted at parties while poor families struggled to get enough food.
In the summer of 1989, her taxi stopped at a traffic signal in Mumbai. Three children came to her window, smiling and begging. At that moment, Shaheen realised that her life would have more meaning if she stayed in India and worked for children.
She decided to leave her university life in the United States and settle in Mumbai. Her parents finally allowed her to stay on the condition that she joined a good college and later went abroad for higher studies. She managed to get admission to St. Xavier's College.
Shaheen then began visiting the poor areas of Mumbai and teaching children. Her experiences finally led to the formation of Akanksha, an organisation devoted to the education of poor children. Thus, Shaheen changed from a young girl living a comfortable life into a committed social worker who wanted to make the lives of children better.
🌈2. How did Shaheen Mistri’s experiences in the Mumbai slums lead to the birth and growth of Akanksha?
Answer:
After joining St. Xavier's College, Shaheen wanted to understand the real life of Mumbai. She began walking around the city, observing people and talking to them. During one such visit, she entered a poor community where nearly 10,000 people lived without running water or a proper system for waste disposal.
There she met Sandhya, an eighteen-year-old girl. Sandhya did not know English, and Shaheen did not know Hindi, but they soon became friends. Shaheen started visiting Sandhya's small house every day after college.
Soon, some children from the neighbourhood began coming to the house. They wanted Shaheen to teach them English, Mathematics and songs. More children joined every day, and they became her first class. They lovingly called her “Didi.” Shaheen felt happy and useful among them and slowly realised that teaching these children could become her lifelong work.
This experience gave her the idea for Akanksha. Shaheen believed that India already had people who could teach, places that could be used as classrooms and money to educate children. She only needed to bring these things together.
She approached twenty schools in Mumbai and requested a classroom for three hours every evening. All of them refused. Some gave unfair reasons for keeping poor children away. Finally, the Principal of Holy Name High School in Colaba agreed to provide a room. This became the first Akanksha centre.
Shaheen brought volunteers from St. Xavier's College to teach the children. Akanksha formally began in 1991 with 15 children in one class. It later grew to 58 centres and six schools with more than 3,500 children. The children learned English and Mathematics along with values, self-respect and confidence. Thus, a small class in Sandhya's house grew into a large educational movement.
🌈3. “Didi is the story of a young woman who turned her concern for poor children into meaningful action.” Discuss.
Answer:
Didi tells the inspiring story of Shaheen Mistri and her efforts to improve the lives of poor children through education. From childhood, Shaheen was deeply affected by the suffering and difficulties of children around her.
Her visit to an orphanage in Jakarta and her work at the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai made her think seriously about the lives of children. She also noticed the huge difference between rich and poor people in Mumbai. The sight of children begging at a traffic signal finally made her decide to stay in India and work for them.
After joining St. Xavier's College, Shaheen visited a poor community in Mumbai. There she met Sandhya and started teaching children in her small house. The children affectionately called Shaheen “Didi.” Their love and interest in learning encouraged her to continue her work.
Shaheen wanted these children to have a safe place to study. She approached twenty schools for a classroom, but all of them refused. She did not give up. Finally, Holy Name High School gave her a room, and the first Akanksha centre was started.
Akanksha formally came into existence in 1991. It began with only 15 children, but later grew to 58 centres and six schools serving more than 3,500 children. The programme taught children not only English and Mathematics but also values, self-respect and confidence.
Shaheen's story shows that feeling sorry for people is not enough. We must be willing to act if we want to bring change. Through determination and hard work, she turned her concern for poor children into an organisation that gave thousands of them better opportunities in life.]