I learnt about the importance of education at my mother’s knee as she shared with me her passion for learning. That small town girl born in times where women were not educated and marr… Read More

Sophiya Tirkey helped establish a school at a dustbin. After 14 years, that school is in danger of shutdown. Help save it by supporting our online fundraiser. The post Anou’s Blog Hel… Read More

At Project WHY Okhla centre, a very special reunion of past students, and their teachers who continue to hold the torch for education for children today.  Some of these kids have g… Read More

Join the Project Why family by supporting Mithu, so he can help others in his community. Every little bit helps. Share the fundraiser to triple the impact! The post Anou&rsq&hell…Read More

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million. – Walt Streightiff For We are the World Blogfest I want to share the story of the education of… Read More

We were honoured to welcome Mrs Hiramatsu, wife of the Ambassador of Japan, and the Japanese Volunteer Group to our Yamuna Centre on January 15th 2019. Mrs Hiramatsu graciously donated schoo… Read More

The Annual Status of Education Report 2018 has been published and there is little cause to rejoice. True there are more children in school and less drop outs but most of the children who &ls&hell…Read More

He is an extraordinary man. Humane, kind, gentle, unassuming, generous, compassionate. A successful corporate honcho who makes the impossible seem commonplace. But that’s just half the… Read More

Dharmender better known as Dharmender Bhaiya, is someone I have grown to admire by the day. His story is one that needs to be told as it epitomises the spirit of Project Why. Over the years… Read More

When I look back at 2018, I am filled with a deep sense of gratitude. Strange as had anyone asked me during the year how things were going, gratitude was not the word that would have come to… Read More

I am almost 2000 posts old! I’ve been blogging for more than a decade and yes I like to know how many people drop by and read what I write. I know many of you read my blogs but only so… Read More

For the past 8 years, come January and my thoughts turn to Manu who left us all lost and bewildered on a cold morning in January 2011. On that day I must admit, I was close to giving up, as… Read More

New Year is the time when you reminisce about the year gone by and make plans for the one to come. Normally that is what I do but this year I would like to share the story of four lovely sou… Read More

On December 22, 2018 an alumni meet was organised at Project WHY Khader centre. The informal meeting was a heartfelt gathering of former Project WHY students. It was a beautiful ride through… Read More

For the past week Project Why has been in Xmas mode. At Project Why we celebrate all festivals with fervour and joy and it is heartwarming to see how children get involved. Xmas caps have be… Read More

For the past three months, Project Why has been touched by the magic of two young souls: Luisa and Fabian. Luisa was barely sixteen when she first visited Project Why with her mother. She wa… Read More

Pushpa is an incredible woman of substance and yet nothing about this diminutive, ever-smiling woman reveals her indomitable strength. She too is one of the many masters that Project Why bro… Read More

What do you think of women empowering each other to lead independent lives? Do you have a sewing circle in your community? Do you know of a sewing circle that works with underprivileged wome… Read More

Due to unforeseeable circumstances we have had to change our India Rupees Account from Citi Bank to Kotak Mahindra Bank. The new account details are: Account Holder: SRI RAM GOBURDHUN C… Read More

Education can make a quantum difference in a person’s life. For We are the World Blogfest I want to share the story of a boy who used his education to go from the streets of New Delhi… Read More

In New Delhi, like elsewhere in India. women are the target of domestic violence and abuse, and survival becomes the biggest challenge they face. Often, nonprofits like Project Why step in t… Read More

Delhi is still reeling under the aftermath of Diwali night. Pollution levels are still way off the mark. They ran amok on the morning after proving once again the total lack of concern we as… Read More

I came to know about  We are the World Blogfest through my dearest friend Damyanti and warmed up to the idea immediately as we need stories to renew our faith in humanity.&nbs&hell…Read More

At times it takes a borrowed pair of eyes to revive your ability to see with your heart. This is exactly what happened during the recent visit of Damyanti, a dear friend and staunch sup… Read More

Dont’ worry, be happy, sang Bobby Mc Ferrin way back in 1988. The lyrics of this song came back to me as I stumbled upon an article about Delhi schools introducing ‘ Happiness cl… Read More

Come November and the pollution levels in Delhi run amok.This happens year after year, and year after year knee jerk measures are taken to be forgotten when pollution levels drop. Crisis man… Read More

As always it was a joy to visit our incredible eight at the Boarding school last week! How time has flown and how they have grown. Our boarding school programme has been our greatest challen… Read More

One of the challenges we face at Project Why is to provide quality and meaningful education. In the present educational scenario in India where only marks count, this challenge becomes even… Read More

She was born a few weeks before Project Why saw the light of day and has been our ray of sunshine all the way along. Kiran is undoubtedly an intrinsic part of Project Why. She turned 18 yest… Read More

For the past years, come October a group of class XI students from Gefion Gymnasium Copenhagen and their stellar teachers Mette and Ask visit Project Why and share some precious time with ou… Read More

The highest result of education is tolerance wrote Helen Keller. These words came to mind at a time when once again the future of Project Why is at stake. One of our main source of funding i… Read More

Last Saturday my heart missed a beat. A call informed me that our Yamuna centre was in danger of being closed as authorities were clearing the banks of the river and ominous looking bulldoze… Read More

The Yamuna children are busy learning about ‘vegetables’! This is oxymoronic to say the least. These kids can teach us more than any book can. They know how to grow vegetables fr… Read More

Through the month of August 2018, all our Centre’s children keenly monitored the floods and rescue operations in the state of Kerala.  The Centre Managers  explaine… Read More

On The Road Again 2k18, a group of French Youth in India for a month, came and visited our Project WHY Centres on September 8, 2018.  They interacted with our children and resource… Read More

“Live for cause which is bigger than yourself! Be Astonished by your own existence.” Deepak Chopra. These words resonated deeply. For the past two decades I have strived to live… Read More

The past few days have not been the best. A series of irritants on the personal level resulted in the mood declining and the blues setting in. Mercifully, though I do not go to the Project W… Read More

Centre for Social Innovation-Ramanujan college and Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust – Project WHY signed MOU for promoting after-school education support to slum children, empowering… Read More

Project WHY centres – Delhi and Dehradun – celebrate the Indian festival of Janmashtami today. Children dress up and play act as lord Krishna Read More

“Part of being a person is about helping others” wrote Regis Murayi. We at Project Why believe in this maxim and try and teach compassion to our children at every step. Today, ou… Read More

Way back in the summer of 2000 when we were still wondering what direction Project Why would take, I use to spend long hours in the Giri Nagar slums interacting with children and their paren… Read More

The past week has been hectic in all centres of Project Why! Every one is busy preparing for Independence Day. Decorations are being made, tricolour balloons blown, patriotic songs rehearsed… Read More

One of the greatest lessons I have learnt during the last two decades is that of survival with dignity and a smile. It has been not only a great eye opener but also taught me to review my ow… Read More

Three little girls aged 2, 4 and 8 died of hunger in India’s capital city! Their autopsies revealed that there was no trace of food in their bodies and that they had most probably not… Read More

Our very own Project WHY student turned teacher, Aman,  secured admission to the prestigious Delhi College of Art. Since 2014, he has been training to get admissions in the college. Pro… Read More

Delhi Government on Friday(July 27) issued its first flood warning when water level in Yamuna started raising due to continuous heavy rainfall. Though our Project WHY Yamuna centre is on a h… Read More

One of the inevitable consequence of moving forward, is that some have to step back. At Project Why the ‘axe’ fell first on yours truly. For the team to learn and gain not only t… Read More

With the summer holidays long over, all our kids are back to school Read More

We are back with a bang on social media. Find us on  Twitter Facebook  Instagram! Read More

In the times of privatization of education and mushrooming of uber-fancy schools that look more Read More

A recent article on the quality of persons correcting CBSE class XII papers sent my blood running cold. One must remember that marks are of the essence and that careers depend on the marks y… Read More

Utpal is back in school red bag in tow! The saga of the red bag began in July 2006 when he first Read More

Delhi is fighting a battle to save 16 000 trees from being felled to make a place for a housing Read More

We have recently been informed that one of our major funders Read More

For quite some time now, since Project Why’s revamping began, I have not had the occasion of telling the Project Why story to any audience. Now it is all slick presentations, smart loo… Read More

Our FCRA (donations from outside India) bank account has changed. The new details are here Read More

Our creche children ‘graduated’ and are now ready to go to school. Meet the class of 2018 Read More

The Boards results are out and all Project Why children have cleared them. Congratulations are in order! I am extremely proud of them. These children live in extremely difficult conditions a… Read More

The class XII results are out and the topper secured a whopping 499/500 in Humanities! That is close to 100%. My congratulations to the young lady and to all those who passed their examinati… Read More

To address gender biais that is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to gender equality one has to begin within the confines of the home as that is where sexist messages begin. In an articl… Read More

One cannot be spiritual as long as one has shame, hatred, or fear. Ramakrishna The slew of bad news that hits us every time we open a newspaper or switch on a news channel is alarming. Fro… Read More

Over a quarter of a century ago my dear friend and mentor D.V. Sridharan launched a website called GoodNewsIndia! The tagline was; News from India: of positive action, steely endeavour… Read More

Only one child among ten in India gets adequate nutrition.This is the finding of a report in India Spend dated May 2017. A friend sent a link to a recent article that appeared in the natio… Read More

Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil. C. S. Lewis Nothing is fortuitous, at least not in my life. Everything that happens, happens fo… Read More

“No matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” Lupita Nyong’o There have many tags lines to Project Why, and though we chose “because me make that… Read More

Live so that when your child thinks of fairness, caring, integrity she thinks of you. These words sum Ram and Kamala’s life. Today a more than a quater of a century after I lost them… Read More

The Trust does not bear her name. Once again it was the flamboyant husband who won the match! But the real inspiration and the quiet and gentle motivating force as always in my life was Ka… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) Project WHY’s journey starts with the story of Manu, a boy with special needs who th… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) Born to a poor family in Bihar, Gyanti Devi never had the opportunity to learn as a child… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) The only issue that really disturbed him and made his life miserable in Delhi was to see… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) Indian society continues to treat disability with indifference, pity or revulsion. Low li… Read More

This picture is not the LOC. It is not an incarceration centre. It is not a prison. It is not a loony bin. This is my home! This the wall that separates us from our new neighbours! I seek… Read More

The Delhi government, while inviting applications for admissions to nursery, kindergarten and Class I, has imposed an upper age limit of 4, 5 and 6 years, respectively, on applicants. It is… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) “All God’s angels come to us disguised” said James Russell Lowell. Utp… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) Chandan came to Project WHY in 2002 as an electrician. He lived in the community of Giri… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) When Babli first came to Project Why in 2004, she was a bright-eyed, feisty girl; what so… Read More

(Posting a series of success stories  from the compilation The Project Why Stories 2000-2016) project why Anita’s relationship with Project WHY started in 2002, when she start… Read More

“At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since” wrote the inimitable Salvador Dali. Dreams are… Read More

Use the skills that I have got. Do not focus on what I have not. Of course, I am aware of my limitation. Yet, I am a part of God’s wonderful creation. William E. Lightbourne A recent… Read More

Today is Valentine’s day. A day to celebrate LOVE! A day to remember what love truly means by going beyond the pink hearts and red roses! A day to take a walk down memory lane and rem… Read More

Called it synchronicity but came across the word UGLY in two different contexts recently. The first was a touching article about a woman who had to bear the ignominy and hurt of being calle… Read More

A little girl was crushed to death by a vehicle last week. She lived in a shack under the Nehru Place flyover. Her family is part of the posse of beggars that live there. It is a spot I pas… Read More

The recent incidents of sexual molestation in Bengaluru have once again brought to fore the reality of gender biaises and the stranglehold of patriarchal values in across society. Molestati… Read More

child from our Kalka Temple outreachWhether born in a mansion or a slum, or even on the street, every child born in India has the Right to  Quality Education, a right guaranteed by the… Read More

A New Year has dawned. Let it be the year where children are heard. Let it be a year when children find their voices. Let it be a year when each one of us walks that little extra step for a… Read More

For the past 6 years, come January and my thoughts go to Manu who left us all lost and bewildered on a cold morning in January 2011. I must admit that on that fateful day my feet faltered an… Read More

2016 has been the Year of Transformation for Project WHY! It began quietly without fanfare and ended with a bang. The mood on day 1 of the year was bittersweet. Everything was on track and… Read More

Angels do not have wings! Sometimes they appear in the form of a spunky 8 year old. I was wondering what my Xmas message would be this year! How could I know that it would come to me in a… Read More

For those born before the advent of TV, the lessons best learnt were from stories told to us by parents or grandparents or discovered in books found in every child’s room and  re… Read More

Everything is going to be all right. Miracles happen everyday wrote Adrienne Posey. I second that unequivocally! In the past 16 years of running Project WHY, I have seen them happen and lost… Read More

Tuesday, November 29th 2016 was a blessed day. One had waited long years for this moment. One of the most cherished vision of Project WHY has been to have children from both side of the sp… Read More

It was lovely to have Shalini back for a ‘day’ to join the Project WHY annual picnic that she has never missed for the past decade. This year she almost did as for the past mont… Read More

Ramchundur Goburdhun 15 August 1911- 29 November 1992 Most know us as Project WHY only. A few know that our legal identity is the Sri Ram Goburdhun Charitable Trust. And not many know who R… Read More

The burning of schools in Kashmir vindicates the belief that education is the most powerful agent of change. Destroying a school destroys the future of children forever. Education is a power… Read More

Like any teenager, Utpal often calls from boarding school to ask for something or the other usually food as at his age kids seem perpetually hungry or for a book of some kind. So when he ca… Read More

India celebrates Children’s Day today. There will be celebrations across the land. But for some, like the little fellow in the picture we now fondly call the ‘bucket baby’… Read More

project whyPT as we all know or at least presume stands Physical Training and is a high school ‘subject’ in India. It would be reasonable to again presume that it means playing g… Read More

An interesting article appeared in the Wall Street Journal recently. It is entitled: Why the Vast Majority of Women in India Will Never Own a Smartphone. The emerging new middle class w… Read More

Way back in December 2007 we celebrated Xmas at the women centre. One of our resident at the women shelter was Christian and she told us about the cakes her mom made and we ordered many for… Read More

The news of Bob Dylan getting the Nobel Prize for Literature was one of the best news coming my way in a long time. For those of us who were young and impressionable in the sixties Bob Dyla… Read More