Every Child Deserves a Strong Start
In Nizamuddin Basti, most families can’t afford preschool, and plenty of older kids have had to leave school to work or help at home. Our education programs meet children where they are, from toddlers to teenagers sitting their Class 12 exams.
Crèche
A safe place to be while Mum works
Many of the mothers we work with are raising children on their own or are the sole earners in their household, earning a living as domestic workers or rag pickers. The Hazrat Inayat Khan Crèche gives them somewhere safe to leave their little ones during the day. Children get a nutritious meal every day (milk, eggs, seasonal fruit), weekly check-ups from our health centre, and lots of time for stories, clay and games. The Hope Project has room for 50 children and gives places to the families who need them most.
Iqra’s family came to us after her father, who is visually impaired, lost his income. While her mother trained as a tailor at The Hope Project, Iqra grew healthier and more confident in the crèche, just like her older brothers before her.
In 2024 – 2025 there were 45 children enrolled in the Créche Program
Pre-Primary
Getting ready for big school
Children aged 3 to 5 join our Nursery and Kindergarten classes, where trained teachers help them build the basics they’ll need in formal school. Nursery is about play and learning to get along. In Kindergarten, kids start reading and writing in English and Hindi and learn their first numbers. Everyone gets milk daily and regular check-ups with a pediatrician. When it’s time to move on, The Hope Project staff works with parents to secure appropriate formal school placement.
Momina is currently enrolled in the Pre-Primary. Her mother works as a house helper while her father earns a modest income as a rickshaw puller. The family of six lives in a small rented house facing significant financial challenges. Momina and her three siblings are all enrolled in different levels of the Hope Project. They receive a free education, stationery, books, lunch, and other essentials, allowing the sisters to study together and support each other academically. After school, Momina attends the creche until her siblings finish classes, and they all return home together.
107 children enrolled in 2025. 45 of them moved on to formal school this year.
