Supporting Children’s #PehliClass — Into Formal School, On Time
Every parent remembers the uniform, the lunchbox, the slightly-too-big bag—the first day of school. For thousands of children in the communities we serve, that day never comes: missing paperwork, lost years, learning gaps, or a gate that stayed shut. #PehliClass is JWP’s finite, measurable path from out-of-school to a real classroom—starting at the Mera Sahara Bridge Learning Centre in Nithari.
Active operations · Mera Sahara Bridge Learning Centre, Nithari · Delhi NCR
When the School Gate Stays Shut
The children served are first-generation learners, dropouts, and children who have never entered a formal classroom. Many could not access government school because families lacked documents—a birth certificate, Aadhaar, transfer certificate, PEN—or because learning gaps made enrolment impossible.
Some are six, facing requirements their parents cannot meet. Some are twelve and told they are “too late.” Adolescent girls are pushed out when families prioritise a brother’s schooling. Without intervention, hope fades and the cycle continues.
The Promise: One Year, Then a Real Classroom
At Mera Sahara, each child stays for a maximum of one year. In that year the programme closes academic gaps, secures documentation, and accompanies families through enrolment into government or private school—into their first formal class, on time.
Where girls cannot attend regular school, JWP opens NIOS for Classes 9–12 and IGNOU for higher education—so education continues even when daily attendance is blocked by family circumstances.
From out of school to first formal class
About ₹1,600 per month or ₹19,000 for the year is positioned to cover what it takes to bridge one child into a mainstream classroom—including structured support at the centre and enrolment-related accompaniment as described by JWP.
Why #PehliClass — Why Now
The right to education is anchored in our Constitution and the RTE framework—but for thousands of children, realising that right takes a hand across learning gaps, missing paperwork, lost years, and closed gates. Joint Women’s Programme has spent forty-eight years alongside India’s most vulnerable women and children; #PehliClass concentrates that experience into a campaign that is finite, focused, and measurable.
Recognition & credentials
JWP highlights recognition including a letter of appreciation from the Honourable President of India alongside statutory registrations. Full registration certificates and documents are available on the organisation’s official portal.
View registration certificates & credentials →In Their Own Words
"When paperwork and learning gaps block the school gate, families lose hope. A single year of structured bridge support—with dignity—changes whether a child ever sits in a formal classroom."
"We wanted our child in school like every other family. The bridge centre helped with documents and catching up so the first real day of school finally happened."
#PehliClass in Action
JWP #PehliClass — bridge learning toward first formal school
Learners at the centre — closing gaps before mainstream enrolment
Campaign artwork — share #PehliClass with your circle
Spread the word — every share helps a child reach Pehli Class
About Joint Women’s Programme
Joint Women’s Programme
48+ years with India’s most vulnerable women and children
With decades of grassroots impact and policy advocacy—including contributions to discourse around gender-just legislation and social protection—JWP invites donors, ambassadors, and allies to share #PehliClass with anyone who should see it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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142 supporters have stepped up for this lane of work. Your gift or share helps a child cross from out-of-school documentation limbo into their first formal class.