Gyankunj

About Gyankunj

Back in 2017, we discovered that it is not a lack of interest of slum children but rather a lack of good teachers that resulted in high dropout rates. Gyankunj originated with the objective to reduce dropout rates and provide high quality and concept-oriented education to these children.

Our initiative empowers less privileged by providing primary education & digital literacy, sewing classes – Sui Dhaaga, and generating social awareness. We presently engage 200+ students in the JJ colony of Bawana and look forward to rolling out similar programs in other areas of Delhi.

This locality is highly crime-prone and we decided to open this center to engage more and more children in meaningful and productive activities/tasks, keeping them away from negative elements/influences.

A consensus amongst the founders of this program is that education can equip a child to think independently and become an asset to their broader community.

Vision

Gyankunj’s vision is to ensure each student walks out of its doors with exuberance, knowledge and motivation. Our vision is to positively impact society by facilitating education and vocational training for the backward section of our community. We strive hard to contribute a meaningful and happy life for young impoverished students.

Vision

Gyankunj’s vision is to ensure each student walk out of its doors with exuberance, knowledge and motivation. Our vision is to positively impact the society by facilitating education and vocational training for the backward section of our community. We strive hard towards contributing a meaningful and happy life for young impoverished students.

Mission

Our Mission is “To ensure every student is provided with the best possible support to complete primary and secondary education”.

WHY DID WE CHOOSE J.J. Colony Bawana as our First Location?

Bawana area is one of the lesser developed parts of Delhi, with 71% literacy and high drop-out rates at school. India’s literacy rate in 2011 was 74.04%, with Kerala being the highest at 93.91%, Bihar securing the lowest position at 63.82%, and Delhi had 86.34%. Our local knowledge of the area tells us that a tendency to discourage girls from completing their education is common amongst low-income groups for multiple reasons. Among poorer families, children are expected to share the burden of income for the family; if somehow, they are able to send a child to school, they prefer it’s the boy child.

Bawana area falls in the slum category, which may not be very conducive for the academic upliftment of all children in the area. Our investigation suggested that parents are discouraged from continuing their children’s education for a whole spectrum of reasons, some of them are as follows:

Lack of faith in the employability of the child after completing their formal education from government schools

Lack of agency for the child to access alternative means to supplement or complement their formal education resulting in loss of faith in the child’s ability to deliver in the education system

Special considerations for girl child due to social/cultural reasons of not having any use of formal education

The aforementioned reasons were found to be the primary motivators for dropout rates in children from schools in the area. We identified indicators and concluded that an additional support system both for parents and children is needed which they trust. For parents with regards to girl child the concern was safety, for boy child it was employability and common concern was lack of trust for reaping the benefits of a formal education as compared to immediate monetory gains of having their children lend a hand at home or work. We want to solve the problem of dropout rates among children in high school with an emphasis on girl children by addressing their concerns on the above-mentioned matters.

Our Team

Gyankunj has a young, qualified, and creative team at its core. We are under the guidance of industry veterans. Our USP is innovation and creativity in education.