Summary: Didi
"Didi" is the inspiring autobiographical account of Shaheen Mistri, founder of the Akanksha Foundation, which transforms the lives of underprivileged children in India. Growing up in a privileged, international environment across five countries due to her father's banking career, Shaheen first encountered inequality at age twelve when she visited an orphanage in Jakarta. She began volunteering at orphanages in Indonesia and the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai during summer vacations, gradually becoming aware of the stark disparities in people's lives. In 1989, during a summer visit to Mumbai, three begging children at a traffic signal triggered a moment of introspection that changed her life's direction. She realized her life would have more meaning if she stayed in India to work for children's welfare. Despite her parents' initial concerns, they agreed on the condition that she get admission to a good college and later pursue a graduate degree abroad. When admissions at St. Xavier's College were closed, Shaheen boldly entered the principal's office through a side door and passionately explained her desire to help Indian children. Father D'Cruz granted her admission, moved by her commitment. While studying, she explored Mumbai's slums and met Sandhya, an eighteen-year-old girl living in a tiny home in a low-income community. Shaheen began teaching children in Sandhya's home, and they affectionately called her "Didi" (sister). Recognizing that India had people to teach, spaces for classrooms, and funds to educate children, she founded Akanksha in 1991 with the simple idea of bringing these resources together. After twenty schools rejected her request for classroom space with illogical excuses, Holy Name High School in Colaba finally agreed. She mobilized St. Xavier's volunteers to teach English, Math, values, self-esteem, and confidence, creating a safe space where children could leave their difficulties behind. From a single class with fifteen children, Akanksha grew to fifty-eight centers and six schools serving over 3,500 children, demonstrating how one person's commitment can create widespread positive change.
Summary Malayalam: Didi
"ദീദി" ഇന്ത്യയിലെ പാർശ്വവത്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട കുട്ടികളുടെ ജീവിതം മാറ്റിമറിച്ച അകാങ്ക്ഷ ഫൗണ്ടേഷന്റെ സ്ഥാപകയായ ഷഹീൻ മിസ്ത്രിയുടെ പ്രചോദനാത്മകമായ ആത്മകഥാത്മക വിവരണമാണ്. പിതാവിന്റെ ബാങ്കിംഗ് ജോലി കാരണം അഞ്ച് രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ സവിശേഷതയുള്ള, അന്താരാഷ്ട്രമായ അന്തരീക്ഷത്തിൽ വളർന്ന ഷഹീൻ പന്ത്രണ്ടാം വയസ്സിൽ ജക്കാർത്തയിലെ അനാഥാലയം സന്ദർശിച്ചപ്പോൾ ആദ്യമായി അസമത്വത്തെ നേരിട്ടു. ഇന്തോനേഷ്യയിലെ അനാഥാലയങ്ങളിലും മുംബൈയിലെ ഹാപ്പി ഹോം ആൻഡ് സ്കൂൾ ഫോർ ദ ബ്ലൈൻഡിലും വേനൽക്കാല അവധിക്കാലത്ത് സന്നദ്ധസേവനം ആരംഭിച്ചു, ആളുകളുടെ ജീവിതത്തിലെ വ്യത്യാസങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ച് ക്രമേണ ബോധവാന്മാരായി. 1989-ൽ, മുംബൈയിലേക്കുള്ള വേനൽക്കാല സന്ദർശനത്തിനിടെ, ട്രാഫിക് സിഗ്നലിൽ യാചിക്കുന്ന മൂന്നു കുട്ടികൾ അവളുടെ ജീവിത ദിശ മാറ്റി. കുട്ടികളുടെ ക്ഷേമത്തിനായി ഇന്ത്യയിൽ താമസിച്ചാൽ തന്റെ ജീവിതത്തിന് കൂടുതൽ അർത്ഥമുണ്ടാകുമെന്ന് അവൾ മനസ്സിലാക്കി. നല്ല കോളേജിൽ പ്രവേശനം നേടണമെന്നും പിന്നീട് വിദേശത്ത് ബിരുദാനന്തര ബിരുദം പഠിക്കണമെന്നും വ്യവസ്ഥകൾ വെച്ച് മാതാപിതാക്കൾ സമ്മതിച്ചു. സെന്റ് സേവിയേഴ്സ് കോളേജിൽ പ്രവേശനം അവസാനിച്ചപ്പോൾ, ഷഹീൻ ധൈര്യത്തോടെ പാർശ്വ വാതിലിലൂടെ പ്രിൻസിപ്പലിന്റെ ഓഫീസിൽ പ്രവേശിച്ച് ഇന്ത്യൻ കുട്ടികളെ സഹായിക്കാനുള്ള ആഗ്രഹം വികാരപൂർവ്വം വിശദീകരിച്ചു. അവളുടെ പ്രതിബദ്ധത കണ്ട് ഫാദർ ഡി ക്രൂസ് പ്രവേശനം നൽകി. പഠിക്കുമ്പോൾ, അവൾ മുംബൈ ചേരികൾ പര്യവേക്ഷണം ചെയ്യുകയും താഴ്ന്ന വരുമാന സമൂഹത്തിലെ ചെറിയ വീട്ടിൽ താമസിക്കുന്ന പതിനെട്ടുകാരിയായ സന്ധ്യയെ കണ്ടുമുട്ടുകയും ചെയ്തു. സന്ധ്യയുടെ വീട്ടിൽ കുട്ടികളെ പഠിപ്പിക്കാൻ തുടങ്ങി, അവർ അവളെ "ദീദി" (സഹോദരി) എന്ന് സ്നേഹപൂർവ്വം വിളിച്ചു. 1991-ൽ അകാങ്ക്ഷ സ്ഥാപിച്ചു. ഇരുപത് സ്കൂളുകൾ അവളുടെ അഭ്യർത്ഥന നിരസിച്ചതിനുശേഷം, കൊളാബയിലെ ഹോളി നെയിം ഹൈസ്കൂൾ ഒടുവിൽ സമ്മതിച്ചു. സെന്റ് സേവിയേഴ്സ് സന്നദ്ധപ്രവർത്തകരെ അണിനിരത്തി ഇംഗ്ലീഷ്, ഗണിതം, മൂല്യങ്ങൾ, ആത്മാഭിമാനം, ആത്മവിശ്വാസം എന്നിവ പഠിപ്പിച്ചു. പതിനഞ്ച് കുട്ടികളുമായുള്ള ഒരൊറ്റ ക്ലാസിൽ നിന്ന്, അകാങ്ക്ഷ അമ്പത്തിയെട്ട് കേന്ദ്രങ്ങളായും ആറ് സ്കൂളുകളായും 3,500-ലധികം കുട്ടികളെ സേവിച്ചുകൊണ്ട് വളർന്നു.
About Shaheen Mistri
- Indian social activist and educator born in Mumbai
- Founder of Akanksha Foundation, an educational initiative in Mumbai and Pune
- CEO of Teach For India since 2008
- Had an international upbringing across Lebanon, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and the United States
- Father was a senior banker with Citigroup who moved countries frequently
- Attended boarding school in Connecticut before moving to India for higher education
- Graduated with BA in Sociology from St. Xavier's College, University of Mumbai
- Obtained Masters in Education from University of Manchester
- Volunteered at Happy Home and School for the Blind and E.A.R. school for the Hearing Impaired in Mumbai
- Founded Akanksha in 1991, which grew from 15 children to over 3,500 children across 58 centers and 6 schools
Questions and Answers
What was Shaheen's first impression of the orphanage?
Shaheen doesn't remember how the orphanage building looked, but she vividly remembers the children. She saw crying children, laughing children, quiet children, and screaming children, creating a chaotic and overwhelming scene. She remembers not knowing what to do in that situation, indicating her initial confusion and emotional impact. Despite this overwhelming first experience, she returned to the orphanage every weekend, driven by curiosity, thankfulness for her own privileges, or perhaps every child's desire to learn more about the world.
Why does Shaheen say that life was not perfect during her summer vacation?
During summer vacations, Shaheen's experiences exposed her to the harsh realities of inequality and poverty. She spent time volunteering at the orphanage in Jakarta and the Happy Home and School for the Blind in Mumbai, which opened her eyes to suffering and disadvantage. She began to see stark inequities everywhere: moving from family lunches to the dining hall at the blind school, watching begging children from her air-conditioned car, seeing wasted food at parties contrasted with a woman portioning meager dal and rice for her family on the roadside. The slums of Mumbai appeared everywhere like the fabric of the city, making her acutely aware of the disparity in different people's lives, which shattered her previously "almost perfect" existence.
What was the 'search' Shaheen had felt since her childhood? How was India answering to it?
Since childhood, Shaheen had been searching for purpose and meaning in her life. At twelve, she wondered about her destiny and what she had achieved. This search for purpose continued through her privileged international upbringing. India answered this search by providing her with a clear sense of direction and meaning. The moment at the traffic signal when three begging children approached her window triggered the realization that her life would have more meaning if she stayed in India. India challenged her to find her identity and offered her the opportunity to make things better for children. She felt that whatever she did in India could make more of a difference than in her comfortable university life abroad.
What do you understand by the expression "manicured reality of my university life"?
The expression "manicured reality of my university life" refers to the polished, cosmetically perfect, and artificially maintained environment of Shaheen's life in the United States. The word "manicured" suggests something carefully groomed, controlled, and protected from harsh realities, much like a well-maintained lawn or garden. Her university life was comfortable, privileged, and sheltered from the real problems and suffering that existed in the world. This contrasts sharply with the raw, authentic reality of poverty and inequality she encountered in India. She felt that this manicured existence lacked genuine purpose and meaning compared to the opportunity to make a real difference in India.
On what conditions did Shaheen's parents allow her to stay back in India?
Shaheen's parents agreed to let her stay in India on two specific conditions. First, she had to get admission into a good undergraduate college in Mumbai. Second, she would have to travel abroad later for her graduate degree. Her parents had initially advised and cautioned her that living in Mumbai would be vastly different from her current vacation experiences. However, when she persisted with her desire to stay in India, they set these conditions to ensure she would continue her education properly while pursuing her social mission.
How did Shaheen get her admission to St. Xavier's, even when the admissions were closed?
When Shaheen went to St. Xavier's College, she was told that admissions had shut three months earlier and the Principal didn't give appointments. Standing frustrated in the corridor, a student who witnessed the exchange whispered to her about a side door to the Principal's office. Shaheen boldly went straight through the side door without an appointment. When Father D'Cruz looked up puzzled, she quickly blurted out what she had rehearsed: "Father, my life is in your hands. I want to do something for the children of India. I don't know how, only that I must." Her passionate commitment and determination moved the Principal, who asked her a few questions and, at the end of their conversation, granted her admission despite the closed admissions.
What was the condition of the slums in Mumbai?
The slums in Mumbai were densely populated communities with extremely poor living conditions. The sprawling, low-income community Shaheen visited was a maze of tiny alleyways buzzing with life. An estimated 10,000 people lived there with no running water and no system of waste disposal. The entire community shared only six dark cubicle toilets that lined an adjoining alley. The homes were extremely small—Sandhya's home was smaller than Shaheen's bathroom. Despite these harsh conditions, the community was vibrant and full of life, with children and families living in these challenging circumstances with limited access to basic amenities and opportunities.
How was Sandhya's life different from that of Shaheen?
Sandhya and Shaheen were both eighteen years old, but their lives were vastly different. Sandhya lived in a tiny home smaller than Shaheen's bathroom in a low-income slum community with no running water or proper sanitation. She didn't speak English, while Shaheen had an international education across multiple countries. Sandhya lived in poverty with limited opportunities, whereas Shaheen came from a privileged background with access to quality education and comfortable living conditions. Despite these differences, when they met, Shaheen felt an immediate connection with Sandhya. The contrast between their lives highlighted the stark inequality that existed in Mumbai and motivated Shaheen to work toward providing better opportunities for children like those in Sandhya's community.
What is the basic principle of Akanksha?
The basic principle of Akanksha was Shaheen's simple yet powerful realization that India had all the resources needed to educate every child—it just needed to be organized properly. She believed that India had people who could teach, spaces that could be utilized as classrooms, and funds with which to educate all children. Everything already existed; she just needed to find a way to bring these resources together effectively. This principle focused on mobilizing existing resources rather than waiting for external support. Akanksha aimed to create safe spaces where underprivileged children could leave the difficulties of their lives behind and just be children, while receiving quality education in English, Math, values, self-esteem, and confidence.
What did the volunteers teach at Akanksha?
The volunteers at Akanksha taught a comprehensive curriculum that went beyond academics. The basic stock ingredients were English and Math, providing fundamental educational skills. To this foundation, they added "a dash of values, self-esteem and confidence," focusing on the holistic development of children. Shaheen mobilized volunteers from St. Xavier's College and made a rough plan of what they would teach. The primary goal was not just academic instruction but creating a safe space where children could feel secure, leave behind the difficulties of their lives, and simply experience being children while developing both academic skills and personal confidence.
What kind of difference, do you think, Akanksha must have brought into the slums?
Akanksha likely brought transformative changes to slum communities. It provided children with quality education in English and Math, opening doors to better opportunities and breaking the cycle of poverty. By building self-esteem, values, and confidence, it empowered children to believe in their potential and dream beyond their circumstances. The safe learning environment gave children hope and a sense of purpose. Access to education helped families see pathways out of poverty for the next generation. The program's growth from 15 children to over 3,500 across 58 centers and 6 schools demonstrates its massive impact. Beyond individual children, Akanksha likely changed community attitudes toward education, inspired other social initiatives, and showed that underprivileged children, given the right opportunities and environment, could achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to society.