When the Covid-19 pandemic brought life to a standstill and exposed deep-rooted inequalities across Mumbai, 51-year-old Suifya Abdul Wahid Khan chose to see the crisis as an opportunity to bring a change.
For Khan, who used to voluntarily teach at a BMC school in Jogeshwari during the early 2000s, what began as a simple act of charity during the lockdown became a mission to rescue children from the harsh realities of life through education.
Khan, who had been living a comfortable life after marriage, was like many others watching the pandemic unfold from the safety of her home. However, everything changed when she visited the Ambujwadi slums in Malad to distribute food and essentials to struggling families.
What she witnessed there shattered her
Sufiya started in a small rented place at Ambujwadi (Pic/Tarun Verma)
Among the narrow lanes and roads made of trash, she saw children picking up half-burnt cigarette butts from the ground and smoking them.
‘Education is the only way out’
What she saw was disheartening. Determined to bring about a change, Khan, a teacher herself, believed that education was the only sustainable way to bring about a change in the lives of these children.
On further enquiry, she discovered that Ambujwadi had no proper school in the locality, and most families could not afford to send their children elsewhere for quality education. That was when she decided to act.
In 2021, with little more than determination, she opened Indian Glory School with just 20 children.
From books to medicines, she arranged it all
She arranged books for them, medicines when they fell ill, and nutritious food when they came hungry. She became not just a teacher, but a guardian, a mentor and, for many, the first person who truly believed in their future.
Sufiya Khan with children at school in 2022 (Pic/Special arrangement)
Thanks to her endeavour, hope gradually began spreading through the lanes of Ambujwadi.
Parents who had once accepted hardship as destiny started believing in possibilities. Through word of mouth, more children arrived at the school’s doorstep.
What began as a small initiative gradually transformed into a movement. Word spread quickly across Ambujwadi, and more parents began sending their children to the school.
Today, Indian Glory School educates nearly 345 children from the slum at a nominal annual fee of Rs 300.
With days of providing education in the slums, Sufiya realised that nutritious food and necessary supplements are another thing that has been restricting the children from exploring their full potential. That is when `Decimal foundation` stepped in.
"Decimal Foundation have been our constant supporter since the initial days, whether it is about providing nutritious food or essential supplements for kids, their support for Indian Glory School has been immense."
She also added that, "Food and supplements provided by them, mainly for the malnourished, are a great help, especially for the malnourished children of the locality."
Parents speak
Nazmin Ansari (37), a daily wage worker who lives in the Ambujwadi slums, said, “Initially, I had doubts that she would charge thousands of rupees for education because quality education is usually beyond our reach."
Nazmin Ansari (Pic/Tarun Verma)
“However, when I approached her and asked whether she could teach my children, she welcomed us with an open heart,” Ansari added.
Ansari further said that her 10-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter are now students at Khan’s learning centre.
“My children now look forward to studying every day. Before this, education felt impossible for families like ours.”
Khan said financial constraints should never become a barrier to education.
“Finances should not stop any child from getting a good education. If any parent tells me they cannot pay at one go, I always consider their situation and make monetary matters as easy as possible for them,” she said.
Giving wings to young dreams
Children in the Ambujwadi slums who once spent their days loitering aimlessly and falling into habits such as betting, smoking, and substance abuse are now finding a new direction through education.
With regular classes and guidance, many of them have started attending the school and focusing on their future.
Talking to Mid-Day, students who were once going in the wrong direction said that the transformation has brought hope and discipline in their lives.
Ten-year-old Mohd Asjad Raza, who aspires to be a high-ranking Indian Army officer, said, “When I joined the Indian Glory School, I never knew what great power education holds.”
Mohd. Asjad Raza (Pic/Tarun Verma)
Speaking in fluent English, Asjad further stated, “I aspire to serve my country on the border as a high-ranking Indian Army officer. The only way to make it through the ranks is education.”
‘Without my family, this dream would have remained just a thought
Khan credited her family’s unwavering support in helping her realise the dream.
“The biggest reason this became possible is my family,” Khan Sufiya told Mid-Day, adding that they stood behind her like a pillar of strength.
“The role of my family in this noble cause has been the biggest reason I could bring change to people’s lives. My husband, who has been standing beside me like a rock, supported me not only emotionally but financially. Support from my other family members helped me secure a place in the slum where education could be provided,” she said.
Ray of hope in slums
Despite operating in a locality that still struggles with poor roads, inadequate food access, and irregular clean water supply, the school has created a safe and dignified learning environment. It is equipped with a water filter and separate hygienic lavatories for boys and girls — facilities often absent in many underprivileged settlements.
Babu Khan (32), a parent who works as a gig worker in the slums, while expressing the hardships that people face, said, “In a slum where people continue to struggle with the lack of proper water supply, medical facilities, roads, and hygiene, starting a school for underprivileged children is nothing short of revolutionary.
Suifya Khan started the initiative in 2021 (Pic/Tarun Verma)
“In places like ours, survival itself is difficult, but ensuring that children receive education gives families hope for a better future,” he said.
Babu Khan, with hope in his eyes, said, “We believe that if our children study and become educated, they can help the country move forward and ensure that such dire situations disappear from every slum in India one day.”
For the children of Ambujwadi, Indian Glory School is more than an educational institute— it is a gateway to a better future. And for Sufiya Khan, it is proof that even amid a global crisis, one person’s determination can light the path for hundreds.
* This article was originally published here
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