Children never lose hope: Reflections on a visit to British Asian Trust projects in Delhi
In February 2026, Vice-Chair of the British Asian Trust, Shalni Arora, visited projects in Delhi, India to see first-hand some of our work in education, child protection and livelihoods.
Here, she shares some of her impressions of the people and projects and why she believes the British Asian Trust’s pioneering approach to sustainable system change will transform lives.
Back to school
The trip began by going to back to school where Shalni joined a class of six and seven year-olds learning literacy and numeracy skills through our LiftEd programme.
The LiftEd initiative is a first-of-its-kind programme designed to strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) for 6.5 million children in India, in alignment with the Government of India's NIPUN Bharat Mission. However, at the current pace, we believe it may still take up to three decades to achieve universal FLN in India."
Shalni Arora said: "I was impressed by the materials provided to teachers to facilitate this and watched how engaged teachers were in class. Children were not sat in rows but working in groups around a table, helping each other, learning a lot more than just their sums."
A stand-out impression from the visit was the way the programme ensures real and sustainable outcomes. Shalni commented: "We are employing a pragmatic way for delivering numeracy and literacy skills to primary school children, which measures their understanding and absorption as classes progress rather than weekly or monthly testing. This methodology attempts to make sure no child gets left behind."
The British Asian Trust has convened 26+ organisations as partners in the LiftEd programme. This visit was to our implementing partner Peepul who support children from low-income communities to learn, explore and thrive in public schools.
Breaking gender barriers
With a career history that includes founding a medicine biotech company, the views of Shalni Arora on our projects with BT Group aimed at developing digital and STEM skills for girls were important to hear.
She visited SOS Children’s Villages of India where a dedicated STEM lab now supports over 1,000 young people, primarily girls, from underserved communities to explore science, technology, and digital tools through experiential learning. Girls who once felt disconnected from science are now building circuits, experimenting with electricity, learning robotics and confidently creating prototypes using a 3D printer.
Shalni said: “I was impressed by the level of STEM skills being learnt by the girls on the BT programme, which they clearly seemed to be enjoying. They were being encouraged to find solutions to their real-life experiences. Many had not even seen a computer before.”
Meeting street-connected children
The visit took in a stop at the Rajiv Gandhi Camp to meet a group of young street-connected children being supported through KAWACH, our child protection programme. It was an opportunity to see how the British Asian Trust works with expert local partners for project implementation, such as the Salaam Baalak Trust Delhi.
Shalni explains “Most of our child protection work is based in rural areas, but the issues are faced by urban communities too. This partnership allows the British Asian Trust to better understand the vulnerabilities children face in urban settings and how these need different solutions to those in rural areas. It allows us to put together a plan for better community ownership and engagement and then take that to inform government policy on child protection in urban environments.
“I was moved by the dedication of the community workers at KAWACH to help these children into school and to keep them safe".
From young children to young adults
The journey included an inspiring meeting with 18–25 year olds who we are helping to become job-ready and attain sustainable dignified employment. This work, delivered through our partner Magic Bus, focuses on reaching underserved communities.
Shalni was inspired by what she saw, commenting “These older children had ambition, and drive to do well, to raise themselves. All they need is the opportunity”.
Impact of the British Asian Trust
The visit was an opportunity for Shalni Arora to see first-hand how the British Asian Trust operates.
Shalni says “I learnt that we do is clearly about system change, working within government guidelines and policy and encouraging communities to own the solutions to help young people.The British Asian Trust tries to join as many partners together to help deliver this.
“What is special about how the British Asian Trust works is that we are listeners, convenors, trusted partners and system change experts.
“Our goals are to create sustainable, systems change.That is how we are different and our impact is long term."
A final thought
“Children never lose hope. I met a 12-year-old, who, even though never had any formal schooling, still wants to become a doctor. We can help to deliver life changing opportunities for young people at any age”.
