Transformation on the Streets: Footpathshaala

Shikha Khanna, a portrait photographer, specializes in Children Photography and loves working with street children including Photo presentations for social causes and would like to help society with her photography.

Debesh Banerjee reports (in Indian Express) that Shikha is launching an on-road campaign called "Footpathshaala" to teach basic life skills to street children using poetry and her photographs. 

The poetry support comes from Delhi Poetree, an association of poets who have provided simple verses on "everyday subjects ranging from brushing one’s teeth and taking a bath to the importance of the environment, the Indian Constitution and the national flag".

Footpathshaala is expected to launch a pliot with 20 children in a month’s time. Shikha is in the process of enrolling street children to participate in the programme - she has already identified a family with eight children who sell newspapers at the Lodhi Road traffic signal.

This on-road campaign will use vans "supplying shampoo and toothpaste and a water tanker for clean water—where volunteers from Delhi Poetree will read out the poems and Khanna will illustrate them with her photographs". 

She also plans to teach the children photography by hiring digital cameras! Khanna says:

It is simple. Every camera has an auto mode and they can pick up basic skills easily. Then they can paste their photos on Footpathshaala postcards and sell them. That will give them a respectable livelihood and stop them from begging.

How can we support her? People can donate digital cameras, volunteer to do the reading sessions, and, of course, donate money.

I would love to replicate this in the Dwarka sub-city of Delhi. What if people in every locality of Delhi conduct this programme?

THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY for you to make a difference. Do you want to move beyond handing out coins or food from your car (or simply rolling up the windows) to street children?

Read the complete report here.