Having the vision to become a social entrepreneur is great. Making it happen is another story!

The story of real people, like you and me, who decided to take their life into their hands and make their dreams come true, for the greater good! The story of a real successful social entrepreneur, who built their success from scratch: thanks to their passion, their authenticity, and their vision!

In that frame, I had the pleasure to interview Srishti Sharma, the co-founder of Human Science and project Kilkari.

1. Thank you for accepting to share your story! As an introduction, can you please tell us about yourself, your background, and what brought you to start a project Kilkari?
Thank you The IndianPreneur for appreciating my work. A quick introduction about me – I am the co-founder of Human Science, Human science is world’s first technical expert based organization working in stress elimination via a purely scientific technique, I am also the founder and board of advisory at Kilkari Paathshala – school structures over India providing free education to the underprivileged kids. Highlighting my education -I am a final year undergraduate Economics honours student from Delhi University and a believer of the power of entrepreneurship. Speaking about project Kilkari, I started this project while I was 18 years old in the first year of my college when I saw that even today despite having a national policy of compulsory primary education, around 50% of street kids in New Delhi are denied their basic right i.e Education. Seeing these kids on roads than in schools made me feel paralysed as a young mind. The intention was clear but the plan was still on the way, post talking to various street kids, their families, the govt school and the intention to create an impact collectively lead to the establishment of project Kilkari

2. Can you tell us the story of the project Kilkari? How did the idea come, and what it took to make it a reality?
The idea of project Kilkari came up to me while I was driving back to home and on a signal, I saw a 10-year-old boy holding a newspaper in hand and was going from vehicle to vehicle not to sell anything but to ask what exactly was written inside the newspaper. The sight to me was shocking, I just imagined the state of helplessness so many underprivileged children would go through when they are unable to even read or understand words and letters. I started my research with my two college friends and prepared a solution to cater to this problem. I started project Kilkari which aims to bridge the gap between children and schools by connecting every child to his basic right i.e Education. Under project Kilkari, the children who are denied their basic right to education due to various social and political barriers are admitted to the nearest government and private schools under Right to Education. However, just connecting the children living on streets to schools does not ensure a bright tomorrow for the future of the nation generation. We have also created schools by the name of Kilkari pathshala. A Kilkari Pathshala is conducted every 5 days a week to ameliorate the depleting conditions of such children and make them compatible enough to be able to read and write. Furthermore, it also aspires to reduce the alarming dropout rates. The main focus of Kilkari Pathshala is to improve the basics of those children who are abandoned by society on the grounds of poverty and religion. We work on the overall development of a child and help him/ her realize the importance of dreams and help them fly. We not just admit the underprivileged kids into schools but also conduct daily classes to support, educate and empower the future of India. Education is a weapon that changes lives and that is what we aspire to do at Project Kilkari.

3. So far, what has been the impact of the project Kilkari?
We are currently operational in New Delhi and have opened around 14 pathshalas, have admitted more than 500 street kids and shall be expanding in Mumbai, Noida and Gurgaon this year. I think more than the numbers, it’s the ‘ability to dream ’ that we have been able to get these kids inherited to where these kids can now dream. Education can change lives and can change the future of our nation, these little kids have so much potential to contribute to the country but due to some reasons never get the opportunity to go to schools and study. Empowering the children of the country by the youth is what we believe and execute at project Kilkari. Seeing smiling faces and changing lives is our ultimate reward.

4. Do you have a final message, for a potential successful social entrepreneur who still wonder if creating a social business is a viable career track?
Ok, so a lot of times I is assumed that ‘social entrepreneurship ’ or social business is not a viable career track. I would call it one of the biggest myth. What can be better than building a business that benefits so many lives? Strategic planning, a sustainable business model, recurring revenue streams and a healthy vision for the welfare of all can create wonders. Times have changed and today there are so many organizations, CSR of huge corporates, the government and a lot of international organizations that support social entrepreneurs and their journey. What really matters is ‘How hungry are you for the impact’ and surely if there is will, there definitely is a way! I hope we discover more social entrepreneurs in the next few years.