This is the story of an inspiring mother-son duo from India’s national capital, Delhi. Nisha and Dhruv Mantri are on course to cause a revolution of sorts by working tirelessly working with underprivileged children for their holistic development in the fields of education, social etiquette and sports. Known as Vatika, this unique initiative currently sees Dhruv and Nisha hold classes every day for about 40 children at Bindra Park in Rajouri Garden of Delhi.
How it started
It all started with just two children whose parents worked at a nearby construction site adjacent to where Nisha and Dhruv lived at the beginning of 2016. Noticing the children’s eagerness to learn and the gratitude of their parents, Dhruv and Nisha decided to set a format for their endeavour. They got very consistent with it in the beginning of 2019 and started holding classes for five children every alternative day.
They also asked the children to bring their friends along too and even invited a few children, who were asking for food at the traffic light. Soon, they had about 15 kids showing up to their house regularly with excitement.
In 2020, they decided to start teaching at Bindra Park near their house. They started organising activities, games, quizzes, and lunches and scheduled a class daily. They taught subjects such as Mathematics, English, Hindi, art, fitness, social etiquette, and sports. They even started celebrating a few popular festivals such as Holi, Diwali, Dussehra, and Children’s Day with the kids.
A lot of strollers at the park noticed what they were doing and volunteered to help. They got a few donations including stationery items and food. Some even came regularly to help the two teach and organise events for the children.
Journey so far
Dhruv and Nisha noticed the growth in the children’s maturity. The three not-so-well-behaved kids that came to their house in 2016 became 15 kids with an eagerness to learn and a level of maturity not commonly found. As most of the parents of these children had not even considered providing education to their kids, Dhruv and Nisha decided to keep a workshop for them. They told the parents about the need for education and how each and every one of their students were interested in going to school too. After convincing the parents to allow their children to go to school, they even assisted in the process of admission.
All the gratitude they received from the parents and the happiness of the children encouraged them to expand further. Dhruv and Nisha started documenting their journey with Vatika and reached out to people via social media, inspiring others to help their cause.
Vatika now comprises 40-plus children who regularly come to the park at 4 pm every day. Dhruv and Nisha have now formed a special bond with all of them and are committed to seeing their wholesome growth. They plan on taking as many kids as they can under their wings and nurturing them by providing them an opportunity to develop into well-rounded and kind individuals.