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| Anubha Sharma |
Anubha Sharma is the CEO of Angel Xpress Foundation, which she started as a platform for concerned citizens willing to tutor, mentor and guide first-generation learners from slums in their neighbourhoods. In its 7th year, over 400 volunteers are providing daily lessons to over 1600 students in 16 locations across Mumbai. Read about her journey.
1) What inspired you to set up Angel Xpress Foundation? Why is the cause
so close to your heart?
The journey to Angel
Xpress started for me as an exploration of my desire to give back. I had always
imagined myself doing something meaningful after I retired. During a one year
sabbatical I took in 2011 after 20 years of working in the financial services
industry, I decided to experience volunteering to see if it was something I could
pick up after I was done working commercially.
After exploring a few volunteering opportunities, I landed up in a school
for street children. I used to see slum kids gathered at the promenade I walked
down every morning. Soon, I joined a few retired walkers who would spend an
hour tutoring them. The interaction made me realise that the services
available to the poor, did not deliver. School going kids in grades 6 and 7 who
knew less than kids in my family had known in kindergarten. I felt saddened. To
think that most of them would remain locked in the endless cycle of poverty
generation after generation with almost no opportunity was depressing. It
seemed there was nothing they had that could empower them to have a better
future.
However, soon a realisation of how much and how many people wanted to
help was brought home. A Facebook post asking for warm clothes for the kids I
was teaching had over 3000 people calling to offer all kinds of help. Clearly a
bridge needed to be created between wonderful souls like these and the kids who
needed their support to make something of themselves.
A shocking 41.1% of Mumbai lives in slums. Children living in slums are
first generation learners lacking adequate nutrition, proper hygiene, are exposed
to petty crime, violence, drug and alcohol abuse. There is a need to provide
them with effective, meaningful education to help them become socially
responsible adults capable of a sustainable livelihood.
AXF inspires educated adults to teach and transform behaviour of
underprivileged children through education and life skills. Socially conscious
educated citizens, stay at home mums from affluent homes, and active retirees
are trained to set up community service programmes for tutoring school going
children from nearby slums in community spaces like shaded parks in their
neighbourhood. In its 7th year, 404 volunteers are providing daily lessons to
1602 students in 16 locations, across Mumbai. Today AXF can:
- Use under-utilised human & material resources
through redistribution, creation of purposeful, like-minded community groups
- Improve interest and capacity to learn – better
performances in schools by students is reported during PTAs within a year of
joining the program
- Focus on building literacy, numeracy, values &
life skills, nurturing ambition in girls and inculcating gender equality –
promoting inclusive values and peaceful coexistence
- PTMs, workshops and counselling sessions, help student
families cope better with life situations
2) Can you recall an act of giving that you did/experienced or
witnessed that changed your life? Do tell us about it.
At 15 I read the story
of a French national living in Kolkata who had adopted 5 street kids, from
being beggars at the street corners, these kids were studying in the best
school in the city and were excelling at sports, which is why the article had
appeared. This story struck me for the choice the man had made to change the
lives of children who were not his own. Giving them security and a
regular home had made all the difference. Here was a man who had the power and
the means and he used them to make a difference. Many don’t – I realised it
even then. I admired in him the ability to be able to go beyond himself and
found it extremely inspiring.
3) Is there somebody (living or dead) whose giving/philanthropy you
admire? Why?
Sudha Murthy - I
totally share her philosophy and feel the world is too consumed with
consumerism. We are allowing things to rule us, rather than work for us. She
said and I believe the same: Money can give you certain comforts but money
has limited use. And once you realise that, money becomes a burden to you. You
donate it. Money is a heavy bag on your back and you should lead a simple
lightweight life," says Sudha.
4) Do you have a motto or mantra, or even a quote that you live by?
You take one step, God
takes 10 is something my spiritual teacher says often. I believe in being a doer
and in trying my best. I also believe as The Gita says, we must relinquish our
preoccupation with the fruit (result) and have faith that the right intent, and
positive action will always yield results which are best – though they may not
be what you expected or hoped for.
5) In a perfect world, what dream do you want Angel Xpress to accomplish
in the next five years, and what kind of a future would you like it to be part
of?
Over the next 5 years,
we hope to train 2000 committed volunteers who in turn will provide daily
tutoring & mentoring for 10,000 children every year. We also want to build
a plug and play platform that will provide free support and will enable people
who wish to adopt our format of contributing in the creation of a responsible,
aware ,and able next generation. Our lessons focus on development of
communication, critical and collaborative thinking skills, logic, values and
emotional social skills.
6) Did your organisation participate in GivingTuesday India last
year? If so, how was the experience?
We have been
participating in DaanUtsav for many years now and participated in GivingTuesday
India last year as well. While our children do a lot of work around their
homes, we use this opportunity to make them commit to community focused acts
of giving. We find generosity comes naturally to children, and acts
of giving does a great deal for their self-confidence. It also takes
away the need to snatch and grab – some of the habits they pick up from their
surroundings.
