Education · Out-of-School Children
Pehli Class
A campaign by Joint Women's Programme (JWP)
A first day of school is every child's right.
At JWP's Mera Sahara centre in Noida, children who never started school, or fell out of it, catch up for up to a year, get their papers in order, and walk into a real classroom.
Verified NGO. Vetted by The Giving Circle team: documents, office visit and leadership. See what we checked →- Tax Benefits · 80G
- Serving Since 1977
- Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Follow the campaign@pehliclass
Photo: Mera Sahara Centre, NoidaAbout This Cause
When the School Gate Stays Shut
Every child in India has a right to go to school. For children from Noida's poorest homes, that right often stops at the gate. Their families want it for them, but the system asks for things they don't have.
Papers
One Missing Document
No birth certificate, Aadhaar, transfer certificate or PEN, and the admission stops right there.
Learning
Behind Before They Begin
First-generation learners, with no one at home who can help them catch up.
Time
Told It's Too Late
A twelve-year-old who has never been to school is told the lost years cannot be made up.
Girls
Kept Home First
Adolescent girls are pulled out so that housework, or a younger brother's schooling, can come first.
Our Theory of Change
Close the Gap.Open the Gate.
A child who is behind, and has no papers, stays outside. Fix both within a year, and the gate opens.
When We Find
Children the System Missed
Never enrolled, dropped out, or turned away. Like 30 children from Lohar families in roadside shelters, who had never been to school.
And Bridge
The Learning Gap
Up to one year of classes at the Mera Sahara centre, following the state curriculum.
And Secure
Every Missing Paper
Birth certificate, Aadhaar, transfer certificate, PEN: whatever the school asks for.
Then They Walk Into
Their Pehli Class, On Time
A government or private school. For older girls, open schooling through NIOS and IGNOU.
How we know it's working: admissions we can count. 147 children in 2025-26, and more than 15 into private schools under RTE so far in 2026-27.
How This Cause Works
Bridge. Prepare. Admit.
Three things the Mera Sahara centre does for every child, in one year at most.
Bridge Classes
Classes that follow the state curriculum, so a child who started late, or never started, is ready for a mainstream school.
Papers and Admission
JWP's team helps families get the documents schools ask for, then sees each child through admission, including RTE seats in private schools.
Families Beside Them
Parent meetings and school-readiness work, so a child who gets into school stays in school.
In Their Own Words
Voices From This Cause
Students who grew up at the Mera Sahara centre, some of them now teaching there.
- Former Student
“Teachers here saw me through school, and now they're encouraging me to graduate.”
PritimaStudent turned teacher, Mera Sahara Centre
- Teacher
“I started as a student here. Seven years later, I teach at Mera Sahara in Nithari.”
ShivaniCrèche teacher, Mera Sahara Centre
- Former Student
“JWP is my second home — from class 1 to 5, then tailoring, and now computers.”
MoniFormer student, Mera Sahara Centre
More voices added as children move into school
What Your Support Funds
₹4,800
keeps one child in bridge classes for three months, on the way to their first real classroom.
Donate ₹4,800Bridge Classes
Up to a year of catching up at the Mera Sahara centre, at the child's own pace.
Papers That Open the Gate
Help getting a birth certificate, Aadhaar, transfer certificate or PEN.
A Seat in a Real School
Admission to a government or private school, and support to stay there.
Every contribution goes directly to Joint Women's Programme, through its own payment gateway and into its own bank account. JWP sends your 80G receipt.
Verified NGO
Vetted by The Giving Circle
We only list NGOs our own team has checked, and not every organisation that applies makes it. Here is what we checked for Joint Women's Programme before this campaign went live.
Last reviewed: [month year]
Registration and tax documents checked, genuine and current
Listed below with numbers you can check yourself
Office visited by our team
D-45, Press Enclave, Saket, New Delhi · [date]
Leadership interviewed
The people who run the programme, in person
Field work seen
[place, date] · we see the work on the ground wherever we can
Written commitment to share updates
Admissions and classroom photos, posted on this page
- 80GView document
80G approval
No. AAAAJ3629F25DL02 · Checked · valid AY 2027-28 to 2031-32 · 50% tax deduction
- 12ABView document
12AB registration
No. AAAAJ3629F25DL01 · Checked · valid AY 2027-28 to 2036-37
- CSR-1View document
CSR-1 registration
No. CSR00001519 · Checked · can receive company CSR funds
- FCRAView document
FCRA registration
No. 231661236 · Checked · renewed 18 Dec 2021, cleared for foreign contributions
- NGO DarpanView document
NGO Darpan
No. DL/2017/0167769 · Checked · NITI Aayog's national NGO registry
- Reg.View document
Society registration
No. S-49003 of 2004 · Checked · Registrar of Societies, Delhi
Good to know: vetting is not a financial audit, and we don't examine the NGO's accounts. It confirms the organisation is real, legally compliant, and run by people we have met.
Meet the Founder
“Our journey began with a clear objective: to create a society where every woman and child can thrive, regardless of class, caste, customs, religion, and gender.”
Impact So Far
Real Classrooms. Real First Days.
Updates from the Mera Sahara centre, shared with every circle.
147
school admissions in 2025-26
15+
into private schools under RTE in 2026-27
228
children enrolled at the centre
58
supporters here
Circle time · Mera Sahara Centre“Be literate, stay strong”
Admission day
Speaking up
Pre-primary class
@pehliclassFollow every first day of school, in photos and reels.Questions About This Cause
Frequently Asked Questions
Clarity on where your gift goes, how the programme works, and how your circle can champion it.
What does "vetted by The Giving Circle" mean?
Our own team checked JWP's registration and tax documents, visited its office, and interviewed the people who run it. We see the work on the ground wherever we can, and JWP has committed in writing to share updates. Vetting is not a financial audit; we do not examine the NGO's accounts.
Will I get an 80G receipt?
Yes. JWP holds a valid 80G certificate, and the receipt comes directly from JWP to the email address you give when you donate. Add your PAN when you donate so the receipt can be issued. 80G is a deduction under the old tax regime; your tax adviser can confirm what applies to you.
Where does my donation go?
Straight to the NGO. Donations go directly to the partner NGO through the NGO's own payment gateway and into the NGO's own bank account. The Giving Circle does not receive, hold, or process donation funds at any stage.
What exactly does a gift pay for?
JWP puts the cost of bridging one child into a mainstream classroom at ₹19,000 for a full year: the bridge classes, help with missing documents, and the admission itself. You can give once, or every month, and a monthly gift can be cancelled at any time.
Who are the children?
First-generation learners, children who dropped out, and children who have never been inside a classroom, from the communities around JWP's Mera Sahara centre in Nithari, Noida. Many were turned away for a missing document, or because no one helped them close the learning gap.
What happens after the year?
Every child stays at the centre for one year at most. By then the aim is a seat in a government or private school, including the seats private schools keep free under the Right to Education Act. JWP keeps working with parents so that children who get into school stay there.
What about older girls?
Some adolescent girls cannot go back to a regular school because of responsibilities at home. For them, JWP opens a route through open schooling with NIOS (Classes 9 to 12) and on to higher education with IGNOU.
Can I raise funds for Pehli Class with my circle?
Yes. Become a Cause Champion: tell us how much you would like to raise, and we set up your fundraising page and materials to share on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere you like. It costs nothing, and someone from our team stays with you through it.
Ready to Lead Your Circle?
Become a Cause Champion for Pehli Class, bring your circle together, and help one more child reach their first day of school.
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