Impact & research

What we have done so far

Before NSF was registered, most of our work was teaching, much of it informal. Alongside it, we documented two other kinds of work: research to understand the community, and relief when a crisis made learning impossible.

1 · Teaching

Mostly informal, for over a decade

For over a decade, most of our teaching has happened informally: free lessons in the jhuggis, and classes at Vanphool Pathshala, a free school in Yamuna Khadar that Vikram helped run, which by 2020 was holding classes under the flyover and reaching nearly 300 children ("Rising from the rubble", The Patriot). We have also supported 200+ children into school under the RTE/EWS quota.

Because this work was informal, most of it wasn't tracked child by child. Two examples we did follow closely are Pushpa and Rupam →. With NSF, we now set goals for each child in our pilot and track their progress through the year.

Children gathered for an informal class in Yamuna Khadar

2 · Surveys & research

Understanding the community we are serving

To find the children who need us, understand their context, and evaluate progress, we run various surveys. Our 2020 census mapped 1,495 households (6,385 individuals) and found 300 children who had never attended school and 112 who had dropped out. Our June 2026 household survey, followed by calls with families, identified the 28 children in our current pilot.

See the surveys and findings →

Density map of households from the 2020 community survey

3 · Relief

While our focus is on supporting education for children, we know that many community-based and household-based factors play a critical role in making it difficult. Hence, alongside education, we have run tightly scoped drives in the past for storm relief, mosquito nets, and ration support.

Huts covered with new waterproof tarpaulins

Storm relief

Waterproof tarpaulins for 121 families to rebuild huts destroyed by the June 2020 storms.

Mosquito nets

660 insecticide-treated mosquito nets distributed free of cost ahead of the 2020 monsoon, with help from over 50 donors.

COVID-19 ration relief

800+ families supported with ration kits during the COVID-19 lockdowns, distributed by Vikram with Basti Suraksha Manch.

Documentation camps

Camps to help families apply for voter IDs, ration cards, and Aadhaar, the documents that school enrolment and welfare schemes depend on.