Blending Spectrum

Life Skills, Education & Health for Street and Slum Children

“I have a dream of going to school, learning new things, and becoming an airplane driver”.
– Khurshid, 10 years, Ummeed Home for Boys, Aman Biradari

“I want help in English and math’s as I like school and I want to be there as I want to be a teacher.”
– Nandini, 7 years, Nizamuddin Basti

“I draw and colour, we make a train to the basin station and wash our hands. I have learnt that by washing one’s face, hands and body and keeping myself clean I won’t get diseases. I now throw garbage into the dustbin and we make sure the area around where we live is clean. I play lots of games and colour drawings that talk to us about hygiene.”
– Rakesh, 8 years, Uma Pandey Rainbow Home for Children, Aman Biradari

“You have been an amazing platform to find out where we stand and to develop our skills, be it leadership or communicative. I can say for myself as well as for some of the people that I came across this wonderful journey where we may be a small part of the YP, but the YP has and will always be a big part of our lives.”
– Vineet Recriwal, 21 years, Volunteer

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Blending Spectrum is a community programme that engages young people as peer educators to work with urban street and slum children in Delhi to promote child rights and learning opportunities as part of the same. Founded in 2006 by 17 year old Manka Bajaj, the project increases sensitivity and promotes a better connect and understanding between street and slum children and the urban youth.

The programme is designed to increase children’s knowledge of primary health and hygiene education, supporting their transition into formal education and developing Life Skills that are complementary to the same. Using a range of interactive learning exercises, arts and sports, the project through a Life Skills Education curriculum helps develop children’s critical thinking; inter-personal and comprehension skills, strengthening their abilities to negotiate challenges in their daily lives.

Blending Spectrum works in two locations across the NCR, with a community living in the Nizamuddin Basti and at the Ummeed Home for Boys. The Ummeed Home for Boys in Qutab Institutional Area is part of the Dil Se Campaign, under our partner NGO Aman Biradari. The two communities have a total strength of 155 children. Across 2010 – 2011, Blending Spectrum conducts two programmes at the Nizammudin Basti and one at The Ummeed Home for Boys.At the Nizammudin Basti, Blending Spectrum works with 50 boys and girls between the age of 3 to 14 years, implemeLife Skills Education and Arts Programme and Hygiene, Health and Nutrition Awareness classes. The project also conducts Academic Classes providing assistance to children who have transitioned into formal education, in order to support their academic progress and personal development in school.

At the Ummeed Home for Boys, Blending Spectrum currently conducts a Digital Storytelling programme in partnership with Adobe Youth Voices and the Global Fund for Children. The project trains 25 children and young people between 11 and 20 years of age with 14 peer educators on using film as a medium of personal expression. In 2011, the children and peer educators will produce 8 digital stories together.

Blending Spectrum has successfully worked with 80 peer educators and 305 children, assisting 110 children to enrol in schools with a zero percent drop out rate since its inception in 2007.

Donors & Partners

Blending Spectrum has been supported by the Global Fund for Children, Cascade Enterprises, IDEA Cellular and Individual Donors in the past. In 2010, the programme partners with the NGO Dream A Dream (DAD) as Curriculum Development Partners and is supported by the Global Fund for Children.

To read more about the programme click here