Success story

“Rasta helped me build a better future”
Ranju is the only one among her siblings to have attended school, and she thanks Rasta for transforming her life.
Her differently abled father found it difficult to get work, and her mother, a housewife, was confined to her home. Their only source of income was from the two rooms in their tiny house they had let out on rent. During community mobilization visits, the Rasta School teachers noticed children of school-going age immersed in household chores. When Ranju’s mother was asked why they were not at school, she responded bluntly, “kyonki inka dakhila nahi hua, humaare paas paise nahin hain bhejne ke liye” (Because we don’t have money to enrol them in school.)
It took much convincing on part of Rasta staff before her mother agreed to visit the school and talk to the principal. In 2009, Ranju was admitted to Rasta Learning Centre and she appeared for her 8th-grade exams through the OBE. She finished her 12th grade through NIOS, and pursued a beautician course alongside. Rasta, aware of her potential, advised her to pursue a computer course also along with her regular studies.
Today, Ranju, a Delhi University graduate, is working in Time Share Company, and is earning well for her family. She says thanks to Rasta that “provided me with the opportunity to build a better future.”

“Paying it forward”
Manoj has a mission in life. He wants children in his community to receive education, and he has used sports to make this proposition even more appealing.
It was way back in 2003 that Manoj was spotted by Gayatri, a Rasta community educator. At that time, he was working as an attendant at a petrol pump outlet. Gayatri had a few sessions with him wherein she drove home the importance of education, and soon, Manoj, and her mother were visiting houses in the community to encourage parents to enrol their school-age children at the Rasta study centre. Somewhere, along the way, Manoj, too, began his own educational journey.
Forever grateful and indebted to Rasta for introducing him to the importance of studying, Manoj, who is pursuing an MA in Physical Education, is now paying it forward. He collaborates with other NGOs to provide holistic support for children’s education.
Living in a locality where children often resist education, he has focused on innovative approaches to make learning more accessible and engaging. Recognizing children’s interest in football, he has developed a curriculum centered around sports. By incorporating their
passion for football into the learning process, he has introduced a fun and healthy element to keep them invested in their learning and education.

“Rasta Centre still feels like home to me”
Balli helps young girls and boys to get a kick-start in life. Quite literally so! He runs his own football academy where he coaches children to perfect their shoots and bends.
Balli says it was at Rasta that the world of possibilities opened before him. He credits Rasta for helping him score the goal that he had dreamed of as a young boy.
Balli’s parents had relocated from their hometown of Deoria in UP in search of better livelihood prospects. While hunting for a school for their children, they came across a Rasta Learning Centre where Sujay and Munni, the community educators were taking remedial classes. Balli, who was then 10, was admitted to the Centre in 2009, and, with Sujay’s help, was later enrolled in a government school. He says, “Rasta’s co-curricular activities helped broaden my thinking and changed the way I approached life.” He recalls with delight the day trip to the Worlds of Wonder Adventure Park in Noida while he was a student at the Centre.
Balli is now pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from Amity University, and in the evenings, he wears his coach hat as he helps children with their kicks and corners at the Neeb K. Football Academy. Balli is a certified football coach, recognized by the All-India Football Federation.
For Balli, Rasta is where it all began. He says, “Every time, I cross the Rasta Centre, it still feels like home to me.”