A family devoted to a noble cause
Ashok Kumar--From Flash, April 2004

In today’s fast paced world people can hardly spare time for themselves, let alone others. Still, there are many who devote their precious time for a noble cause to brighten up others’ lives. The Khanna family at C-15, Green Park Extension, includes mother Sunita Khanna, daughter Vinnie Khanna and son Manuj Khanna who have come forward to help inmates of Tihar Jail with paper recycling.

They are associated with NGOs like Akshay Pratisthan, Udayan Care, Blind School, Scope Plus and Youth Reach. “We ask our students to donate old newspapers. They donate the paper in their respective resource centres from where the NGO Scope Plus collects it and takes it to Tihar Jail for recycling. The inmates of Tihar Jail make beautiful pads, file covers, paper bags, jute bags, and many things out of it,” said Vinnie who teaches in St.Mary’s School, Safdarjung Enclave.

This makes the children aware of the benefits of recycling waste paper. Paper is made from trees that has soft wood and this will definitely lead to less cutting of tress, thereby contributing towards saving the environment[…]

When Sunita came in contact with Seema Malhotra, who runs Scope Plus, she thought of helping her in her endeavour. “I am very happy to know that the old newspapers are recycled into beautiful folders, bags, diaries, carry bags, bottle holders from jute. By making these the inmates of Tihar Jail earn something and learn the art at the same time,” Khanna emphasised.

They have appealed the people to use recycled products. If you are interested in disposing of your old newspapers and want to but such recycled products then call at 26967120.

Jaibbird
Purabi Shridar--From Femina, May 2003

Seema Malhotra visits a place others would like to avoid. The feisty lady goes to Tihar Jail four times a week! 42-year-old Seema has her hands full with work as she manages the Adult Literacy Programme, pre-school tuition centres and beautician training. She also oversees a production unit, where 44 inmates make environmentally friendly products used by schools in the capital. After completing her Masters on social work, Seema had her priorities sorted out – home and family. It still remains the same, the only difference being that her husband, two daughters and mother are actively involved in the work she does through her association Scope Plus.

The honest and hard work began when Seema was ‘conscripted’ by her younger daughter to be a fill-in teacher in her school, Springdales.

That set her up on a ‘bite more than I can chew’ path. Seema started out at first as a social worker cum counsellor and then began working with the Delhi government’s adult literacy programme.

Somewhere along the way, Tihar Jail and Scope Plus happened. Not one to stop, she has also reactivated the Tihar Employees Welfare Association. No, Seema is not considering politics, except when “I’m very angry”. She’s eyeing a PhD instead!

Helping inmates live a normal life
Punya Prava Rath--From The South Delhi Live, January 16, 2003

They began with two scissors, a box of adhesive and some raw material. Today, the small production unit in Central Jail 4 has seven cutting machines and 10 sewing machines. Seema Malhotra’s efforts to bring a smile on undertrials’ face in Tihar Jail seem to have brought results.

“Vocational training was an incentive for adult education initiated in jails. But for undertrials it was the best way to kill time and earn at the same time” says Seema. About 42 undertrials are engaged in creating folders and bags from paper and cloth, chit pads, diaries and carry bags and bottleholders from jute.

Seema’s association with the National Literacy Mission and Delhi Schools’ literacy project helped her to start her own “Scope Plus” in 1996. The work that began in CJ4 has now swelled over to CJ6, CJ5 and CJ3. “The production centre is being supervised by three undertrials. We have our coordinating staff”, says Seema. She coordinates the work from her home in Soami Nagar (North) and visits the jail four times a week.

Seema, a home science student, acquired her skills from Amar Jyoti, an NGO. “Every volunteer working for this project has learnt the art of making products. We are always on the skills upgradation mode”, says Seema.

The products have a good market. Says Seema, “Our customers mainly include schools and institutions. While Laxman Public School has ordered gifts for its Class XII farewell party, DPS Mathura Road has placed an order for jute bags. The chit pads and folders of Scope Plus had accompanied the Primr Minister on his visit to Rome too. TIE, CARA, INTACH, UNFPA, IGNOU, FICCI, Springdales, Delhi Public School and St.Mary’s are all customers”. They are registered vendors with the American Express.

The label of Scope Plus stuck to each product has helped in spreading the marketing network. The products are also on display during Diwali and Winter melas.
“Our USP is the design and quality finish. The 15 percent margin on these products has helped us make the project self-sufficient. A tie-up with two businessmen ensures us regular production orders,” says Seema.

School dropouts share the Gates dream
Sunetra Choudhury--From The Indian Express, November 25, 2002

“Can anybody tell me what qualifications the famous Bill Gates had” a teacher asks a group of around 40 students – predominantly young women in their late teens or 20s. They, along with their male counterparts, have only one thing in common with the Microsoft king. “He was a school dropout.”

Three days a week, 80 students gather in small groups at a computer centre in Mansarovar Garden to dream the same dream that Gates did. Giving them a helping hand are IGNOU, like minded NGOs and computer centres, which started this computer literary course for school dropouts last year. This particular centre is also extraordinary in that it is managed by a physically-challenged woman named Ishu Sharma. Calm and soft spoken, Sharma was encouraged to set up the centre when the learnt the background of the students.
Now, because they dropped out of school does in no way mean they are intellectually challenged. Sample the questions they ask. “Why aren’t we being taught C++? Also, we want more computers, we can’t share 6 between the 15 of us.” That complaint comes from an agitated boy of around 17. Seema Malhotra, from Scope Plus, who is fielding these questions, gives him a cajoling look: “I know, I know, but it will get better. It could be worse, you know?” She has come to visit the centre to see how the second batch of students are getting along. And the whole batch of 80 has turned up with a list of demands.

Among them is 23-year-old Vijaylakshmi. She was unable to complete matric as her parents could not afford it – not with seven children. She says when she heard about this programme, she just had to join it. She even managed to raise the fees herself through tuitions. “I want a career in computers”, she says, “I also want that this course, which is in Hindi, be in English.”
Vijaylakshmi, like most students here, was forced out of the system due to financial or social constraints. “I was made to leave school because my family felt it wasn’t safe for a girl to go out,” says Deepika. Though every now and then, she has to face her parents’ wrath for taking up the course, she is determined: “Computers are the key to a job,” she explains. However, Malhotra is careful to point out that the course does not guarantee a job, “Our basic objective is to ensure they all go back to the mainstream,” she says.

As the fees for the course is affordable – Rs100 for men and Rs50 for women – it attracts other aspirants as well. “We know some of them are probably attending mainstream school, but we try and verify that,” says Malhotra. She admits most of them will end up nowhere close to a career in software, let alone become another Bill Gates. But there is hope to become something like Vikram Singh. A student of the first batch, he is working with a packaging company. “I didn’t get a job related to computers, but I like it here.”
A small but sure start.