When Komal, an 8 year old girl from Bedavas was asked why she is not going to school, she replied, how do I go school? I am scared of crematorium, a big well and highway. Why we don’t have school in Bedavas. Almost 150 children who participated in a workshop organized by Hindustan Zinc under the Project “Khushi” came up with demand for school in their locality. The parents of these children also requested for a school that can educate these children who are keen to study.

The children in the rural areas face the problem of commutation to the schools. Either the schools are not available in the colony or the children need to travel to school in tough conditions.

With the purpose of inculcating education in poor children, particularly in slum areas, Hindustan Zinc project “Khushi” organized a 2-day workshop on 1^st and 2^nd July 2016 in Bedavas which falls within the city of Udaipur. About 150 children, in the age-group of 3 to 15 years with almost 70% girls, participated in the workshop which had lessons on literacy, creative skills, moral teachings and nutrition values.

Bedavas has hygiene problem though almost every house has a toilet. As the children came to know that something new is about to happen, almost from every house they came running. A brief was given by Pavan Kaushik, who is the Founder of Project “Khushi” to all the children and their parents about the workshop and how every child has to come to attend the workshop only after taking bath, brushing teeth and properly combed. For this each child was given a tooth brush, a paste, a comb and soap on 1^st July itself.

On 2^nd July almost all the children came properly dressed and after adhering to the instructions given by “Khushi”. The parents of these children also sat, taking a little distance. The workshop began with lessons on literacy. Each child was asked to write their name and few moral values as they were given a note-book, a pencil, a sharper and eraser. Some knew how to write and some were taught. Post class on literacy, the children were given colour books and colours. Each child had to be accurate in colouring the pictures that showed the pattern of colour.

“It is our experience that children in slums and on streets need proper guidance and motivation to educate themselves. When you motivate them to go to school they need schools. The motivation and the infrastructure need to meet or else such workshops may not have long-term impact. In case of Bedavas, all they need is a small school with a teacher and a sustainable infrastructure”, said Pavan Kaushik.

The members of the “Khushi” project – Pradhuman Solanki, Maitreyee Sankhla, Devika Gupta, Ankita Das, Mukesh Mundra, Shiv Narayan, Sunil Gothwal and Diksha, advised almost each child on colouring and found that few had an amazing hand on creativity.

In the end, as part of providing nutrition to the children, each child was given a mango and 2 bananas which the child had to eat at the location itself.