Reshma / Aligarh

A domestic worker in Delhi was struggling to give her only child an environment away from her violent and alcoholic husband; she dreamt of educating him so that he would do well in life.

With no means to help her son, the woman finally reached Al Noor, a charitable Trust run by Salma Ansari, wife of former Vice-President. Now the child is admitted to Chacha Nehru Madrasa in Aligarh where all his expenses are met by the Trust and his education if taken care of.

The trust is running schools and Madrasa in the name of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and imparting education to some 4,000 children from families with no means

Principal Rashid Ali of Chacha Nehru Madrasa in Aligarh said that 3,450 children study in his institution. Here all subjects – like mathematics, languages, science etc. – are taught. Besides the local children, 50 others who hail from other states and cities are lodged in the Institution’s hostel.

The students also get to learn dance, music and sports.

Preparations for a function in Chacha Nehru Madrasa

Most of the children have been picked from railways stations or from families with no means and some from destitute families.

In August a heart-rending video of a child sitting beside his dead mother on Muzzafarpur railway station of Bihar and trying to wake her up had gone viral on social media. Many celebrities offered to adopt the boy but none came forward. 

The child has since been adopted by Al Noor Trust and is lodged in the hostel in Aligarh. He is studying at the Madrasa school in Aligarh.

Recently, the girl whose mother was mentally-challenged and had no means to take care of the child was brought to the school.

Salma Ansari has named the child Zehra Kazmi, after her own mother. Recently four more children have been admitted to the hostel and the school.

The Al Noor trust also runs the Bapu Public School in the slums of Bhagwanpura for children with similar backgrounds.

Students of Bapu Public School, Delhi

Apart from this madrasa, Al Noor school and a junior high school in the name of Chacha Nehru also runs in Aligarh. About 200-200 children study here. All of these are children of Aligarh.

Rashid Ali says that a school of this series is also running in Delhi. Bapu Public School had about 100 children before the corona-lockdown, but now only 30 children are left.

Children studying in Salma Ansari's schools and madrasas are given all opportunities to grow well. They are encouraged to take up sports and other hobbies.

 Recently a student whose father's name is Rakbar won the Karate competition at the district level. Now he is preparing for the state-level competition.