“How many times have you seen a child at the signal, selling something or relentlessly begging? How many times have you felt annoyed...maybe sorry and given him some food or money and felt like you made some sort of a difference?” asks Bhatu Sawant, the man behind Mumbai’s first Signal School, better known as Signal Shaala. His question, which went viral due to Humans of Bombay, was followed up with the story behind his brilliant venture — and it all started at a signal, on his way to work. A small boy came up to him, while he was drinking water from a bottle that had gone warm due to the rising temperature. As the little boy tried to sell an Indian flag to him, the first thing Bhatu thought of, was the condition of the child. If the bottle had gotten warm from just sitting in the car, what could this little kid possibly be going through?

That very day, he began research, followed by surveys and contacting these children and their parents. Years of trying to send these children to BMC schools had only backfired, mostly because the parents would want the children to beg at the signals in their free time, and the children themselves weren’t interested in school. Ultimately, Signal Shaala was a concept created to bring the school to them instead.

A simple shipping container was transformed into a colourful, creative environment, at Thane’s ‘Teen Haat Naka’, one of the busiest traffic signals in Mumbai, with volunteers and permanent teaching staff. The children were still averse to this concept, as to them, education wasn’t a part of their childhood; they didn’t understand the necessity of it. Initially, the teachers had to run after the children, and bring them to school from the signals. With the introduction of audio-visual methods of teaching, interactive games, and quizzes, the children began to attend frequently, and were willing to stay for a longer duration. A health camp was also organized when they noticed that although the children wished to attend their lessons, several of them couldn’t stay awake or concentrate.

Following that, a uniform the children could wear, school bags, notebooks, and medicines for those who had skin ailments were doled out to the children — simple items, that they cherish. As jaded Mumbaikars do, ignoring these beggars by the road has become second nature; but if India is to move forward and develop as a nation, supporting initiatives like this, if you can’t do anything personally, would be a step in the right direction.

Bhatu ended his interview with Humans of Bombay, with an experience of his, at the school. A young boy had borrowed money from him, as his father was in jail. He told Bhatu he would return it, but Bhatu put no pressure on him about it, “He paid me back almost immediately and said, ‘Thank you for teaching me, thank you for giving me hope that I don’t end up like my father,’ and that to me was everything. The hope, the courage and the stubbornness of an educated mind. ”