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 JBF(Scotland) was formed in UK with four Trustees in May 2005 to support and fund the work of JBFWO(India) who operate the informal school in Dehli. The Informal school has been built at Viklang Basti which is an illegal settlement made up of temporary shelters on the edge of the main open sewer in the South of New Delhi. The inhabitants are from all parts of India, and come to Delhi to escape drought, famine or disease. Unfortunately, as these people are illiterate, innumerate and lacking extended family support, they have found themselves right at the bottom of the social structure. Those with work are collecting rags, bottles, paper etc. from the streets to sell on as material for re-cycling. Those without work are begging for their daily income. The children of Viklang Basti lead the same lives as the adults. We created the Informal School project to try and break the cycle of poverty and give these children the chance of joining mainstream Delhi life.
The Informal school has been built in Viklang Basti itself, so that we are truly a part of their community. We have 2 qualified teachers and 2 teaching assistants running the schoo l for 6 days a week. For the first 12 months the school had an attendance of around 30 children. These children have now left our school and joined the State education system – previously closed to them because they were unable to pass the entrance examination appropriate to their age. The Informal School has acted as a vital ‘stepping stone’ for these children to be able to join the regular education system.
After seeing the results of our first years intake, we have won the support of the parents who are now much more keen to send their younger children to us.
 The Curriculum is partly academic and partly social skills based. Apart from the teaching of literacy and numeracy subjects, we are also keen to give the children the chance to learn about the ways they can help improve their daily lives with subjects like personal hygiene, settling disputes without violence, and minimising the dangers that they face while working on the streets. There are also regular medical, dental and eye clinics held at the school which are enthusiastically attended.
We now have a regular school attendance of 50 children.Obviously this is great news for the school and the children, but the cost of running the school has risen along with the attendance and that is what we need your help for. The Funding for the school comes from regular donors, each contributing the cost of educating and feeding 1 child (£13-50 per child per month). The more regular donors we have the more places we are able to offer. If you would like to become a donor or make a one off donation please click here. 100% of all donations made to JBF(Scotland) is passed to JBFWO(India), nothing is taken out in UK for administration, wages, expenses etc. All work carried out by the Trustees of JBF(Scotland) is on a voluntary basis.
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Crossroads Appeal Delhi
