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History:
Children at DSS:
Our Staff:
Location Profiles:
Our Sponsors:
DSS in the News:
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The Door Step School Newsletter:
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Know how Door Step School got started
Meet some of the kids we are immensely proud of
Meet some of our dedicated staff members who make all the difference
Familiarize yourself with the sites where we run our projects
See the location MAP of Doorstep projects at Mumbai and Pune
Meet some of the Sponsors whose support we count on
Read some Newspaper stories on Door Step School
Clippings from reports appearing in Mumbai and Pune dailies
Our quarterly newsletter goes out to all our supporters and sponsors
Read our latest issue online or access the archives.
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The History of Doorstep
The concept of Doorstep school was born in 1988-89 out of a study project in Mumbai and Pune to determine the causes of high drop out rates of children who come from the slums around the Municipal schools. The causes are varied, complex and often beyond the mandate of the formal education system. It was determined that an alternative was necessary that would not only take education to the very doorstep of these poor and marginalized communities but also develop a supporting infrastructure that would prevent children from falling out of the formal education system once they enroll there.
Over the last 15 years Door Step School has evolved into an organization of dedicated individuals who reach out to more than 40 communities with over a 100 projects that cater to 8000 children in Pune and Mumbai.
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Meet some of our Kids
Though we see success in the continued education of every child, a few representative stories reconfirm our belief that social work can bring in some improvement in the lives of children living on the fringes of the society.
Kumar:
Young Kumar lived on the pavement of a very busy road in Mumbai with his mother, two brothers and sister. His mother took up odd jobs when she got them and supplemented her income with rag picking. The family like many other around them had no fixed source of income and the children knew no better then to beg when they were hungry.
Two year ago when Door Step School's School-on-Wheels began to park on their street children gathered around out of sheer curiosity about this new kind of bus. Kumar was one of them. When the children came on the bus for classes, Kumar joined them. Along with learning how to read and write, the group on the bus discussed issues like begging vs. working for a living. This touched a sensitive chord in young Kumar. He turned to an older youth in his neighborhood who knew "plastic repair" and learned this trade from him.
Today Kumar not only reads and writes well, he is very proud that he earns Rs.50 - 100 per day from his newfound trade and he can look after his family.
Usha:
Usha is a first generation learner from Babasaheb Ambedkar Nagar (Punarvasti), Mumbai. Her mother runs a food stall in the local market and her father works as a daily wage laborer in Navy Nagar. Both are virtually illiterate and were initially not much inclined to send her to school. However, some of the local social workers encouraged them to send Usha to the Balwadi (pre-school) run by Doorstep.
After attending the Balwadi for 2 years (1995-96), Usha enrolled in the Colaba Municipal School. However, being a first generation learner made things very difficult for her. Fortunately in her community Doorstep also runs a Study class. The "Didi" in this class would help her with her schoolwork and prepare her for her exams.
Today Usha is studying in Class VI and has been standing First in her class for the past couple of years. She has also been very influential in the decision that her younger brothers first join the balwadi and later the study class in the community. They, too, are in school now.
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Meet some of our Staff
Doorstep is extremely proud of its dedicated workforce. Their zeal and commitment is the engine that not just keeps Doorstep running successfully over the years but also makes it well recognized as an NGO ushering in social change at a grass root level.
Surekha Pathare, 36, B. ScField Coordinator
Surekha is herself a first generation learner and believes that education can make a major difference in the lives of people, particularly with a background like hers. She strongly feels for the cause that Doorstep focuses on- since she had received support from similar interventions by community based organizations to complete her own education. Hence she feels she is hooked for life to such efforts.
Surekha joined Doorstep in 1990 for a full time career in Social work. She had had her initiation as a member of an active youth group in her locality. An NGO, Prerana, was associated with them and through them she was able to attend various training sessions for Para-professional social workers. While working as a part time social worker at Prerana, she came to know of a full time opening at Doorstep, then a budding organization, and decided to join it.
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Site Visit Reports
Santosh Raikar from Asha for Education gets to ride the School-on-Wheels in Mumbai.
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Saurabh Dani describes Dr. Mashelkar's visit to our Dattawadi Study Center in Pune.
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