Zakir ( 12 years) went to school regularly in Barielly. He studied through to Class 4. His teacher in Class 4 communicated with his students most with a swishing cane. He has stayed with us a year and is now ready to be mainstreamed to Class 4 of government school. When he heard that he was to graduate, he told his teacher his story in the hope that she would not send him away to the big school.

He spoke of having tried to continue to attend school after the master started hitting him regularly. But too many days after he had to come home crying, he shifted school. He went to school after school, but the terror never left him. Finally, his sister who had married in Nizamuddin brought him to Delhi. Most of his time was spent on the street. He started noticing the students as they left this building after school. In a few days, he made up his mind and asked his sister to admit him to Hope.

Recently, he told his teacher that he stayed at first because he could hardly believe that she would not hit, and was amazed that she did not even raise her voice.