Children from Vikaspuri slum have a ball with students of St Mark’s

A large group of children from the Vikaspuri slum gather every day in a small room to learn football, art, and dance...

A large group of children from the Vikaspuri slum gather every day in a small room to learn football, art, and dance. Living in the midst of deprivation, these children have learnt to break social taboos and take control of their own lives, thanks to the efforts of their “bhaiya”, Sylvester Peters, a motivational trainer by profession, who has organised these children under “Angels”.

Sylvester started teaching a few children at his Vikaspuri home as a 13-year-old. Now at 34, his academy has expanded to include nearly 60 children. “These kids would have fallen into a life of drugs and crime if they were left without any aid. Now, they are dedicated to their studies and want to make something good out of their lives,” he says.

“We wake up early for football practice everyday, and as a result, none of us miss school anymore,” 14-year-old Pooja says. She has had to break through gender lines to play her favourite game. Her mother says teachers at the local MCD school were impressed by the change in her daughter. “Her English and science marks have improved, and she is so involved in the sport. Neighbours might say she is not behaving like a girl but I can see that she is doing well in life,” Radha, Pooja’s mother, says.

“Our studies have improved because we all help each other in class. We also teach each other skills like sewing, which we learn from our parents,” 16-year-old Laddan says.

Visiting St Mark’s is a high point for these children, who say they couldn’t have imagined being inside the precincts of a private school. “It was very nice playing there. We were so nervous because we had never played with anyone outside. Now we will play again soon,” 17-year-old Chandan Sharma says. 19-year-old Sanjay is going to sit for the Class X Board exams through open school. “I have worked in a private school but this time we were guests there,” he says.

“It is our goal to make sure that our students are sensitised to the needs of others. When we learnt about Angels, I decided to help these children since it is a wonderful effort being made with no outside support,” Anjali Aggarwal, principal of St Mark’s School, Paschim Vihar, says.

The students of St Marks contributed money for 20 complete football kits for the children at Angels. They also donated books, stationery and clothes for the children from Angels.

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Class XI student Kunal Malhotra was part of the team that played the friendly against the children from Angels. He says: “It was a huge learning experience for us, to visit the slums and interact with the children. Sylvester Peters told us all about Angels. I never knew that slum children could be so well spoken and confident.”