Suraj Found the Sun—Lit by Ibtada’s Shiksha Shala

Every morning, as the sun rose over the dusty lanes of Kachhi Basti near Bhiwadi, 11-year-old Suraj would slip away. Not to play. Not to learn. But to hide—under coats, inside tractor trolleys, behind broken walls—anywhere the school outreach team couldn’t find him.

He wanted nothing to do with the new Primary Learning Centre—set up by Ibtada right beside their slum, offering free education to children like him. A space built for dreams, but Suraj wasn’t ready to dream yet.

All of Suraj's brothers and sisters were married off before they even understood the meaning of marriage. His father battled alcoholism, struggled to find consistent work, and at times, even securing a meal was uncertain. He strongly resisted the idea of sending children to school. His father, caught in a cycle of alcohol and poverty, resisted the idea of schooling. But through all the darkness, his mother’s voice was the only light that refused to fade.

In a world where poverty and illiteracy were seen as unchangeable truths, Suraj’s mother chose not to surrender. While others looked away, she stepped forward—joining hands with the Ibtada team and gently pulling her son out from behind the curtain of silence. Then, in February 2023, something remarkable happened—Suraj stepped into the learning center for the very first time. He sat in a corner, quiet and unsure. Letters were strangers, numbers made no sense, and words barely left his lips. But slowly with the time, change began to bloom—one smile, one spoken word, one brave step at a time.

By mid-2024, Suraj had undergone a remarkable transformation. The boy who once sat silently in the corner was now confidently reading and writing in both Hindi and English. Math, once a mystery, had become a friend—he could solve problems with ease, from simple addition to tricky multiplication. More than anything, Suraj had turned into a curious and eager learner, his eyes lighting up with every new concept, his questions never-ending. What began with silence became a spark—Suraj was now writing his own story.

Once resistant, his family now joins in. His mother attends every parent meeting. They even got Suraj’s Aadhaar card made from their native village—so he can join a government school in July 2025, something no one in his family had ever done before.

The learning center, which began in a hut with 24 children, now has three classrooms and a hall, nurturing the dreams of 58 young learners.

Suraj’s journey is a symbol of what’s possible when education reaches the unreached. His admission to school will inspire many mothers to believe that, even in these difficult circumstances, Ibtada’s Shikshala Shala initiative can bring a ray of hope and lay the foundation for a brighter future in their children’s lives.