The Miles2Smile Foundation proudly announces the launch of the Bi Amma Learning Centre on 5th June, 2025, an educational initiative named after Abadi Bano Begum, widely known as Bi Amma, a fearless freedom fighter and a devoted mother of revolutionaries Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar and Maulana Shaukat Ali. A strong voice in India’s freedom movement and a key figure in the establishment of Jamia Millia Islamia, Bi Amma was a symbol of strength, education, and empowerment. This centre seeks to honor her legacy by providing meaningful learning opportunities for children in under-resourced communities.
The newly established learning centre, located in a local slum community in Jamia Nagar, aims to provide free, inclusive, and accessible education to children who are often excluded from formal schooling due to socioeconomic barriers. The space is simple yet purposeful, equipped with whiteboards, stationery, floor mats, and other basic classroom essentials to ensure a focused and safe learning atmosphere, the centre thrives to provide a clean and supportive learning environment.
A Heartening Start
As the Miles2Smile team arrived at the site, they were met with a mix of excitement and curiosity. The interns and volunteers had already tidied up the space, setting out crayons and chalking the blackboard with a colorful welcome message. Floor mats had been laid neatly, creating a warm, inviting learning space. Some children were already seated, holding onto their worn notebooks firmly or simply gazing around the classroom in awe. Others peeked shyly from outside, unsure whether they were allowed to come in.
A few younger children began squabbling over crayons, while others clustered around the teacher, asking questions like, “Is this our class?” and “Will we come every day?” One boy curiously asked if there would be snacks. An older girl quietly helped her younger sibling wipe her nose and tie her shoelaces before taking a seat in the corner.
A mother stepped in briefly, offering thanks and saying, “I’ll send both of my children from tomorrow. It finally feels like they will be able to learn.”
These small, organic moments reminded the team that learning spaces in such communities are not just about curriculum, they’re about trust, consistency, and building relationships. Each action, each question, and each hopeful look laid the foundation for something much larger than just a classroom.
A Warm, Ground-Level Launch
The launch began with a modest but meaningful ribbon-cutting ceremony, earning smiles of everyone. As local children gathered, clapping excitedly, our Project director smiled and said “This isn’t just a ribbon, it’s a new beginning. Every child who comes here will learn something new and help paint a picture of a brighter world.”
Encouragement from the Ground
Once the children had settled, our project director, stepped forward to address them. With a smile and firm but warm words, she said:
“This is your space. If you come on time every day, we promise you will learn, grow, and dream bigger. Education is not just about books, it’s about opening doors. We are here for you, but you have to show up, try your best, and believe that you can do it.”
The children listened attentively, some nodding, others simply soaking in the attention something many of them are rarely given in formal settings.
Building Trust Through Play and Learning
To gently ease the children into their new environment, the Miles2Smile team began with a series of simple classroom games, such as name games, memory challenges, and “Simon Says” with learning-based prompts like identifying body parts or colors. These light, familiar activities helped the children feel more at ease, slowly breaking through their initial shyness and filling the room with smiles, laughter, and growing curiosity.
Once the children were more at ease, the first learning session began. Teachers introduced basic letters and words using colorful storybooks and drawing exercises. The whiteboard quickly became a hub of excitement as children took turns coming forward, some nervously, others with wide-eyed curiosity. For a few, it was their very first time tracing their names. Though hesitant at first, they gripped the marker tightly and wrote, encouraged by volunteers and peers alike.
—The centre’s teacher, Asna; a qualified and inspiring woman from the same slum community
Children who had remained quiet all morning suddenly raised their hands to read a line from the book, theirvoice steady and confident, earning a proud glance from their teacher.
Older children naturally began supporting the younger ones—sounding out letters, correcting spellings, and clapping in encouragement. This organic exchange of care and learning became one of the most powerful sights of the day.
It was clear: learning had begun, and with it, a quiet but powerful sense of self-belief was taking root.
Looking Ahead
Though the children currently sit cross-legged on mats, the Miles2Smile Foundation is committed to gradually building a more comfortable and resourceful learning space. Chairs, extra stationery, and more teaching materials will be added in the coming weeks. Plans are also in place to distribute school uniforms, host regular hygiene workshops, and begin parent engagement sessions, because nurturing a child’s growth means reaching the home as much as the classroom.
To give each child the attention they deserve, the students have been divided into three batches. The youngest, those just beginning their learning journey, attend from 1:00 to 2:00 pm. Slightly older children, with some exposure to reading and writing, join from 2:00 to 3:00 pm. And from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, the older students, some of whom had once dropped out of school, return with sharpened pencils and quiet determination. Each hour carries its own energy, its own rhythm of curiosity and courage.
The day ended not with fanfare, but with something far more lasting, smiles, shared snacks, and a sense of belonging. Children posed for photos with crayons still in hand, their laughter echoing in the narrow lanes. As they stepped out, some looked back reluctantly, already waiting for tomorrow.
“कल भी आना है ना?”
“We’ll come tomorrow too, won’t we?”
Yes. Tomorrow, and every day after that.
Because a classroom isn’t built in a day. It’s built in moments like these, chalk dust on fingertips, names written for the first time, hands raised with confidence. This is where something beautiful begins.
About Miles2Smile: Established nearly five years ago, the Miles2Smile Foundation is dedicated to making a positive impact on marginalized communities in India. From the crisis response during the pandemic to ongoing efforts in education and advocacy, the foundation remains steadfast in its commitment to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.
