Unsere Vision
"A world in which every child is nurtured and loved, experiences acceptance and autonomy.
A democratic world where quality education is accessible to all."
Our Work in India
Renovations @ Varanasi Ashram School
Renovation Work Has Started at Varanasi Ashram School!
Thanks to a generous donation from Stephanie (Harmony with Nature), we’ve completed urgent roof repairs — four of five concrete beams were damaged and are now reinforced. The team is currently plastering the walls.
A particularly heartwarming detail: Barkha, one of our former students from the Dharikar community in Samneghat, is now contributing to the project. Barkha studied with us until Class 7 and currently works as a construction worker in Kanpur. She’s spending some time in Baragaon and has taken on the task of repainting all the school rooms. It’s a joy to see her back with us in this new role — her presence brings a sense of continuity and shared purpose.
Next steps (as soon as funds allow):
– Building a campus wall
– Waterproofing the roof
– Adding stairs and a railing for rooftop classes
– Installing solar power
There’s lots to do — but we’re excited. Work has begun!
Our Annual Reports
Read up on what we've done in 2023 and 2024! The horrible, the great, it's all in here. And please let us know if there is more you'd like to know. You can write to kati@damini.info - we'd love to hear from you.
Damini Learning Centre
Our new learning centre (start June 2023) provides a safe space for our first batch of 15 malnourished and neglected street children. Their parents, many of whom we know since over a decade and sometimes were our students before, are grateful for this opportunity for their kids. They might not be able to provide the childhood they would wish for their children, so they are now happy these kids will be able to flourish at the beautiful space that was lend to us in a small village just out of Varanasi.
Early Reading Program
Being read to at toddler age is very beneficial to children's linguistic development and later performance in school. On the street, the kids never even lay eyes on a story book. Thus, since December 2022, older students of our Future Education Program read stories to toddler kids on the street. Thrice a week our high school and college students take time off and visit the kids on the street to read illustrated Hindi story books. We've never been able to offer educational input to toddlers before, and we're thrilled this is happening!
Future Education Scholarships
We are currently enabling about 40 students to fulfill their dream of getting an education. 25 of them are at the Secondary level or attending colleges or vocational trainings. Not only do we pay for their school and tuition fees, we also have a full-time supervisor who helps them with all small and big issues that come up in daily life. Since these students have almost zero support from their families, we step in and provide them whatever they need: counselling, a safe place to do homework, or medical help.
Diya TEacher Training
No kindergarten without educators, no school without teachers. Since the individual teacher has the most influence of an educational experience of a child, we see them as one of our main stakeholders. Since 2010, we provide teacher trainings in Hindi, keeping in mind the educational and cultural background of our teachers. We acknowledge them, equip them with what they need to be successful teacher-learners, and help them get out of their comfort zone to grow in their art of teaching.
