On the 8th of June, 2006, Juhita, Vishnu, Abhik, Sreyoshi, Debobrato and myself (Bhavya) visited the school run by Tomorrow's Foundation. We met Mr Ashish Roy and he wanted us to have a close picture of the lifestyle of the children living in slums. So we divided ourselves in three groups. Juhita and Debobrato visited four to five schools in Chetla. Sreyoshi and Vishnu visited the slums in Kalighat area and Abhik and myself visited the Rashbehari slum. It was indeed surprising that the slums could be so much part of our Kolkata city. The three groups were assisted by one member from the foundation. We began our journey at 11:30 a.m. and were supposed to round off things by 2 p.m. The general condition of the children and their families is pathetic. They seem to be hopeless about everything. The drop out rate in school is very high. Some parents are very co-operative while others are just opposed to the idea of school, mainly because the children are a major source of their income. Many young girls work as maids in different houses and do not want to come back to their own homes. Some are forced to work while others accept it as their lot. Infact there was an instance where a mother had no idea about her daughter's whereabouts. It cannot be denied that the harrowing condition in the slums forces many young women into prostitution. Child marriages are also not uncommon. However,it is interesing to note that the number of females in the school was more than males. Another common feature was the availability of colored TV in every house, with cable connection. It seemed that the families had enough financial resources to send their children to school.

Around 2:30, all of us came back and reported to the head office of tomorrow's foundation, and from there left for lunch. We came back by 3:30 p.m. Mr Ashish, together with the teachers wanted to know our opinion. The experiences were more or less same. Mr Ashish wanted us to take few classes. We were given class 7th and later 6th. I found it the most interesing session. Debobrato did a fine job as a maths teacher. The children have inclinaton for maths. Abhik also tried his hand at maths. Sreyoshi taught them a bit of biology. Vishnu and I just interacted with kids. It was a wonderful experience. A little bit of affection could melt the barrier between us and the children. They loved us and so did we.

In my opinion ,the foundation is working beautifully. The members take individual interest in children which of course is needed. Apart from the grim situation, there were few success stories too. Some had been able to score well in their exams and many were serving as teachers in the foundation. We finished our work by 8 p.m., and were dead tired. Mr Ashish wanted us to fix another date so that he can show us some of other projects of the foundation in Tangra and other areas. According to Mr Ashish ,though the process of development is slow it's not an impossibility and we should try to contribute to the well being of these deprived children. And I agree with him.