It opens at 6am and closes whenever the Shaktis wish to go home! The sacred temple of the Shaktis as they call it- Sarvam Space, or the Gurgaon centre is a refuge - a sacred space for our girls who come from the urban slum right behind it- Sikanderpur Ghosi.
The wooden-sprung floor dance hall at Space & Computer centre
The upper area at Space with a Library
Upper area
The terrace area which is used for outdoor activities
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Every day, a group of young girls rush into the basement of a well furbished house in Gurgaon. They carry eager smiles on their faces and seem keento start their hustle-bustle for the day. Even in peak winter mornings these girls rush to the location earlier than usual and stay till the sun goes to rest. What is it that draws them to the place?Talking about the centre, all the girls carried a sense of serenity in their description of the place. While for one, it is equivalent to a temple- sacred and revered, for another it is a safe escape from the inequalities of everyday life. For all of them, it is a place of collective holistic growth.
The centre is well equipped with everything the girls need to grow spiritually, physically and emotionally. They appreciate the wooden flooring, which helps them in their dance practices as opposed to the drawbacks of practicing on concrete or cement flooring. With large mirrors, they are able to perfect their moves and correct themselves, while also trying to hone coordination with peers. Learning during the pandemic was hard and the installed TVs came handy for the students, which they now use for movie screenings as well. The centre also has a library, where the girls are free to pick-up books and read in their free time and when they need help with homework. Very soon, they will also start computer lessons and are extremely excited for the same.
For the girls, it is undoubtedly a home outside of home. They feel safe under the blanket of togetherness as a community and nurture each other as well. Apart from physical activities like yoga, the girls are also provided with nutritious juices and snacks including bananas which help them cleanse and nurture themselves inside out. They admire and look up to their teacher and educators. Several of the students consider Hemangi ma’am to be their role model figure and inspiration, and they aspire to grow into strong, educated, leading women lending a helping hand in society.
The girls are also surrounded with Social-Emotional learning tools where they learn about gratitude, empathy, self-awareness and relationship skills. The walls of the centre are adorned with posters as well as cards and write-ups by the girls, where they express gratitude to Sarvam and pen down what the centre means to them; it is the hut of power- Shakti. Majority of the girls confessed that Sarvam, to them, is less like a school and more like a family where they grow together and grow as a whole. What they learn at the centre is not solely via instructors, but also through self-activities and interaction with peers. It is hence a centre, a home, a temple and a school all packed in one beautiful space.
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