Delhi’s Lal Bagh children trade scrap runs for school mornings

Until recently, school was not part of the morning routine for many children living in Lal Bagh, Shahdara, in east Delhi. Some accompanied their parents as they collected discarded clothes, plastic and scrap for sale, while others remained in the settlement through the day, accoding to Meghna Dhulia's Times of India report.

For 17 children from families of scavengers, however, mornings now begin with school uniforms, bags and a journey to the classroom. Another 10 children are expected to start school from next Monday.

For several of them, this is their family's first experience with formal education. Generations of families have lived in the cluster of small shanties beneath an elevated Metro corridor, with children growing up around the working routines of their parents.


When they are not accompanying adults to collect scrap from the streets, the children spend their time in the settlement. The fixed timings, classrooms and regular attendance associated with school had largely been absent from their daily lives.

Getting the children into the education system has therefore involved more than finding seats in schools. Parents who themselves had never attended school had to be persuaded to send their children to class regularly, sometimes meaning the loss of an extra pair of hands that could contribute to the family's limited income. The absence of identity cards and other documents, unfamiliar admission procedures and the difficulty of helping children adapt to the discipline of school added to the challenge.

The Lal Bagh settlement is home to around 6,000 people, many of whom live in cramped shanties measuring barely 10 feet by 10 feet. The area is marked by open drains, poor sanitation, unsafe water sources and limited access to healthcare and other basic services.

The effort to bring children into school is being facilitated by Asha Community Health and Development Society. Its teams have repeatedly visited the settlement, counselled families, helped them arrange documents and complete admission formalities, and provided uniforms, school bags, books and stationery.

The organisation estimates that nearly 400 families in the settlement include around 250 school-age children. The first group entering classrooms is therefore only a small beginning.

For families, getting children into school is a challenge

Satrupa, who has lived in Lal Bagh for 20 years and earns a living by selling discarded clothes and scrap, has a seven-year-old child who has now started school. Her two older children, aged eight and 10, do not attend school.

“I wanted all my children to attend school, but we did not have Aadhaar card or their birth certificates, and schools refused admission because of that. Now, at least my seven-year-old has started attending classes. I am happy,” she said.

Monica faced a similar hurdle with her eight-year-old daughter. Without the required documents, she said the family did not know how to navigate the admission process.

A routine built around scrap collection

Enrolment is only the first step. For many families, the day starts around 4am, when adults leave to collect waste, discarded clothes and other reusable material from different parts of east Delhi. They return around 10.30 or 11am, often accompanied by their children, who then spend the rest of their time playing.

“The children are used to this routine. They have not grown up with the idea of school and don’t know what regular education means,” said Anita, Asha’s team leader in Lal Bagh. “Even children who had entered school earlier would suddenly stop going to classes. Some families would go back to their villages and not return for months. By the time they would come back, a child was once again outside the formal system.”

Anita said admission is only the beginning of the process. “We have to keep track of them and ensure they attend regularly. In some cases, we even ask parents to give us in writing that they would send their children to school every day,” she said.

Convincing parents and keeping children in school

Vandana, who travels daily to Seelampur and Welcome to collect scrap, initially saw little reason to send her son RK, named after Ranbir Kapoor, to school.

“We didn’t know how this would benefit him. But when we were told why education was important, we agreed. Now he attends classes regularly,” she said.

Another child, Nirahua, named after the actor, dropped out after his school uniform, which had been left to dry outside his home, was stolen. His family could not afford to replace it.

A learning centre prepares more children

Asha has also set up a small learning centre inside Lal Bagh, equipped with a blackboard and books, to prepare more children for school.

“For generations, many of these families were deprived of the light of education. Asha is now working to ensure that this deprivation does not pass on to another generation,” said Dr Kiran Martin, founder and director of Asha Community Health and Development Society.

Health adds another barrier

Poor health is another challenge for children in the settlement. A mobile health clinic visits Lal Bagh twice a week, while around 45 residents receive meals each day based on their nutritional needs.

“Malnourishment is the most common problem among these children, and, in some cases, prevents them from attending school,” said Kusum, who is in charge of the mobile clinic. “There was one child who was severely anaemic and could not even walk. With intervention, she has now recuperated. Soon, we hope she will be able to go to school.”

(With TOI inputs)