Is Selfless Service to Society a Sustainable Concept? The Case of a Street School in Mumbai

Nightingales with Lamps and Good Citizenships can come in various forms. Providing free education and mentorship to underprivileged children from slums and streets, who may have no hopes of entering a formal education system, being one of them. This unique open school started in 1997 on the Carter Road Promenade in Mumbai, resulted into setting up of Navjyot Foundation Charitable Trust in June 1999. The informal school is being continuously conducted during morning hours with help from volunteers, with some children going on to becoming graduates & postgraduates. Another NGO—Association of Social Beyond Boundaries (ASBB) joined up in 2019. This activity provides some semblance of ‘right to education’ to underprivileged children protecting their vulnerability to some extent. Volunteers acting as micro-influencers of change, their commitment and trust built over 25 years, has proved that selfless service to humanity is a sustainable concept that could lead to sustainable societies.