Visit to Aarohan - Letter from Shyamoli Andersen

OUR VISIT TO AAROHAN – by the Andersen Family

Wednesday 13th of April 11.30: Driving through the crowded streets of Delhi, we make
our way to the residential area of Malviya Nagar. Delhi neighborhoods are complicated; first you have to find the “block” (A-Z, which could be spread across a very large area, with major arteries running through them) then you have to find even-odd numbers roads…

Anyway, all of a sudden we drive right past a door with Aarohan written on it (location 1). Miraculously, a parking space is free right there. This is a good sign, I think.

We enter the doorway and head down some dark steps to a large opening, off of which are some rooms. A smartly dressed lady smiles and approaches us: Jyotsna. We go into the office and a few seconds later Rani rushes in and gives me a big hug. She exudes energy and dynamism. She introduces us to the rest of her team: Anjana, Shashi and Manish (details below).

Rani explains that we will first visit a mixed classroom where 3 classes are taught with 3 different teachers, but in the same physical room. This is located in the basement below her home (location 2). The children get up to greet us and a boy comes forward to deliver a skit about ecology and the worth of trees and nature and why we should preserve it with all our energy. I am impressed, but also proud, because it is a fact that India and its poor have been recycling for many, many decades: As far back as I can remember (and I left India in 1969), a man would come on his bike with a cart to buy old newspapers, another would come for glass bottles, another for plastic, etc. Recycling has created many jobs for the poor. The children in this classroom come from the slums and they are more aware than many of us about the power of recycling. As we leave, some boys come up to my husband and start chatting. They are not dressed in uniform, their socks have holes in them, but they are keen, clean and happy to be where they are right now.


Next stop: Jagdamba Camp to see the pre-school class (location 3) taking place and we set off for a three minute car ride. We enter the “slum” and Rani is greeted left and right by the ladies. You can tell that everyone respects her and loves her. One thing that strikes me immediately is the emptiness of the slums alleys. I have been to a large slum in Kolkata several years ago and remember it as being very noisy and crowded, a mixture of men and women, children and elderly. This one is relatively empty, except for a handful of toddlers and elderly women. This is a good sign; it means that people are at work, or perhaps more importantly, at school. I look into the doors which are open. You can hear and see the TVs on, while women are sewing or cooking. The TV is a lifeline for the poor in India – their only way to witness life as we, the privileged, know it.

After a winding walk through the narrow alleys, we come to another door with Aarohan written on it. We go down the stairs and into a small room, where about 20-25 very young children are sitting on the floor. The teacher, a very slim and young woman, with a very powerful “teachers” voice (which we could hear outside) greets us. Rani hands out biscuits and most of the children smile. The reason the others don’t is because it is almost time for them to go home for lunch and to their mothers, who are gathering outside. We have interrupted their schedule! This really sets my emotions going, as I think “this could be anywhere in the world, little ones craving to see their mummies, and mummies gathering outside chatting away with other mothers but eager to pick their little ones up in their arms. Right now, they want to go home after a long “day…” at school….. I remember picking up my son from crèche…


Pre-school students at Aarohan waiting for their mummies and lunch!


This is where the very young children come to learn. It is one room, not too far from their homes, but which will ensure that they get the taste for learning and give them and their parents hope for a better future.

After taking a few pictures, we head back to the car, and go back to Aarohan location 2.

But keeping with true Indian hospitality, Rani leads us up the stairs to her flat for lunch. We meet her husband who is clearly her rock and companion. I don’t know how she did it …. But she serves my favorite South Indian dish, idli and sambar, along with delicious samosas and desert of “mishti-doi” (sweet yoghurt) which are prepared and served in tiny terracotta cups.

Next we go back down to the basement to the large room (location 1). Outside is a van from a religious charity, which has brought lunch for the children. Their lunch is another one of my favorites, which is often considered the Indian “chicken soup” – hearty, healthy and nutritious – Khicheree (not to be confused with Kedgeree which apparently comes from Scotland and contains fish).

The children are seated on the floor, organized as usual and most of them are in uniform. This means that they have either come from school or will be going to school after.

School uniforms and lunch








Our next step is back to the HQ of Aarohan, where another class is in progress.

















Next to the office is a table laid out with the art-work and handicraft made by the children. We spend a little time choosing a few items to bring back to the Charity Committee and then go into the office.



During the course of the day, Aarohan has impressed me, my husband and my 10 year-old son, Jonah, enormously. Rani is passionate about children and her mission. When she speaks about CDL’s contribution, you can feel the gratitude from her heart and, likewise, when she speaks about what will happen at the end of the 3-year CDL commitment, you can feel her worry and desperation. It is not that there aren’t any other contributors to Aarohan: it is the fact that CDL came in at such a crucial moment of growth, with a very generous gift, that very few individuals can match. Rani has the passion to keep the momentum going, but how will she do it without CDL?

Before I end, a few facts about the running of Aarohan: There are 5 persons on Rani’s team: Rani, Jyotsna Aneja (PR?), Shashi Sahai (treasurer), Manish Prasad (member), Anjana Tata (secretary).

They have 3 “locations”:,
1) basement where there are 3 classrooms (one being a computer room with 7 computers) and the office;
2) the large room under Rani’s home;
3) the room in the camp for little ones.





The school runs from 7.30 a.m. until 9 p.m. (this is because some schools in Delhi run in shifts because of the sheer number of students). The children attending Aarohan have 6 months where they are prepared and assisted in enrolling into a public school. At this moment in time, Rani tells us that she has 1200 children attending Aarohan, and a big dream is to find another “venue” where she can offer better conditions and take in more children.


The computer room



The other problem the children here face is that even if they get into the schools, competition is extremely tough and few can compete with the education given in private schools, yet the entrance regulations are the same. –Rani can give them the taste and hunger to learn and achieve – but the reality is that there are not enough places in the education system for everyone to succeed – and those with financial means do find it easier. Not everyone in India is happy with the equivalent of “equal opportunity” when it comes to street kids and their education – and maybe that is the biggest downfall!

I was there for no more than a few hours. Yet, when I think back and try to write this “compte rendu” (report), I have no problem remembering the feelings and emotions I felt that day, but find it harder to remember the sequence of events because I was overwhelmed.. I have promised Rani to keep supporting her and her cause and I hope this message encourages other parents to do the same.

I asked Jonah what he would say about his experience with Aarohan. He blurted out:
“They are poor, but they are happy; they eat the same food each day and they are happy, they are happy to go to school and they do not complain.. it is like they know this is their second chance at the future”.