Read to Learn: Empowering Wastepicker Children Through Resources

Bridging the Gap in Scientific Learning

For many children, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds, the dream of exploring science remains distant. Limited resources and inadequate foundational knowledge pose significant barriers to their aspirations. Chintan works closely with children from waste-picking families, supporting their educational journey. Our experience shows that over 50% of these children aspire to careers in STEM fields, including pharmacy, nursing, and medicine.

Transforming Lives Through Education

Through the Gen Next Programme, Chintan is committed to breaking the cycle of multidimensional poverty by empowering over 10,000 wastepicker children with quality education. For the past 15 years, we have been running educational support classes across Delhi NCR. Read to Learn, a library initiative, is designed to foster a love for reading in both English and Hindi. These libraries have already impacted over 2,000 children.

Beyond libraries, we facilitate school enrollments and conduct interactive, play-based learning sessions to keep children engaged and motivated.

Expanding Our Vision: Integrating STEM Education

Recognizing the strong interest in STEM careers, Chintan aims to expand its educational resources across six libraries by integrating science education. Our goal is to enrich existing libraries with:

• STEM-focused books and comics tailored to different age groups.
• Guidance from trained librarians to encourage engagement and comprehension and guide children through STEM materials and encourage exploration.
• Science clubs to promote collaborative reading, discussions, and hands-on learning.

For children from waste-picking backgrounds, grasping scientific concepts can be particularly challenging due to weak educational foundations. Our dedicated educators provide personalized support.

Be a Part of the Change: Invest in a Child’s Future

Your support can help us scale transformative opportunities, empowering more children to rise above their circumstances and allowing children to have consistent access to educational resources. Every contribution takes us closer to our mission of expanding educational access, establishing new libraries, and nurturing young minds to become future innovators.

Invest in a Child’s Future Through Libraries

Operating one library for a year requires ₹6,25,000, covering new books and learning resources, remuneration for trained librarians, rental costs and operational expenses, including internet access for digital learning. Our goal is to sustain six libraries across Delhi NCR particularly near landfills, ensuring long-term impact.

Join Us in Shaping India’s Future Innovators

By supporting Chintan’s Read to Learn initiative, you are not just funding education—you are investing in India’s next generation of problem-solvers and changemakers.

“Look at the sky. We are not alone. The whole universe is friendly to us and conspires only to give the best to those who dream and work.”

- By former Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam