{"id":3882,"date":"2025-04-20T17:46:23","date_gmt":"2025-04-20T12:16:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3882"},"modified":"2025-04-20T17:54:31","modified_gmt":"2025-04-20T12:24:31","slug":"back-to-school-couple-transforms-discarded-school-supplies-into-hope-for-poor-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/?p=3882","title":{"rendered":"‘Back To School’: Couple Transforms Discarded School Supplies Into Hope for Poor Kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back to School: Couple\u2019s Initiative in Bengaluru Uplifts Hundreds of Underprivileged Students<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Bengaluru, India<\/em> <\/strong>\u2014 In a city known for its tech prowess and innovation, a quieter revolution in education has been steadily gaining ground. For the past decade, Debmalya Bhattacharya and Payel Sengupta, a socially committed couple, have been running ‘Back to School’<\/strong>, an initiative aimed at supporting underprivileged school-going children with essential educational resources.<\/p>\n

A Decade of Impact<\/h3>\n

What began as a modest effort has now evolved into a city-wide mission. Collaborating with seven NGOs across Bengaluru, the initiative currently supports around 200 children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These children, despite demonstrating talent and academic promise, often struggle due to the lack of basic educational necessities.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have collaborated with 7 NGOs across the city and are serving around 200 poor kids with the necessities of their schools,\u201d said Debmalya Bhattacharya, co-founder of the initiative. \u201cGovernment takes care of the children’s shelter and basic food, but for kids to grow physically, mentally and psychologically, there are many other things that are required, apart from food and shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"debmalya
Debmalya Bhattacharya – Back to School<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Bridging the Gaps Left by Government Schools<\/h3>\n

While public schooling in India offers free education, critical gaps in infrastructure and teaching quality remain a concern, especially in under-resourced government schools. Bhattacharya points to the dire need for holistic development, often missing in these institutions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe horrible thing about government schools is that there is a sheer lack of infrastructure and a negligible number of teachers to properly teach students,\u201d he said. \u201c\u2018Back to School\u2019 steps in to address this by supporting children’s mental health and extracurricular activities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The program doesn\u2019t stop at just books and uniforms. It strives to nurture the overall development of the child\u2014mentally, physically, and emotionally.<\/p>\n

Supporting Dreams Beyond Academics<\/h3>\n

Co-founder Payel Sengupta emphasizes that their work is not limited to academics alone. The initiative also identifies and nurtures individual talents, offering resources and encouragement to children interested in fields like sports and the arts.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe provide children with motivation and take them to the respective fields they are interested in,\u201d Sengupta explained. \u201cFor instance, if a student is passionate about football, we ensure they have everything they need to grow in that field. Similarly, we support children with talents beyond academics.\u201d<\/p>\n

This approach ensures that children are not only retained in school but are also inspired to pursue their dreams\u2014no matter how big.<\/p>\n

A Call to Action<\/h3>\n

The couple has made a heartfelt appeal to the public, especially middle- and upper-class families, to donate gently used school materials\u2014books, notebooks, stationery, school bags, shoes, and uniforms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese items, often discarded at the end of the academic year, can bring joy and dignity to another child\u2019s educational journey,\u201d Bhattacharya said. \u201cA small act of kindness can change a life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Community-Driven Change<\/h3>\n

Over the years, \u2018Back to School\u2019 has become more than just a charitable initiative\u2014it has grown into a community-led movement that believes in equal educational opportunities for all.<\/p>\n

The couple continues to self-fund much of their work, but with growing awareness and public participation, the initiative is gaining momentum. Their vision is clear: a future where no child is denied an education due to poverty.<\/p>\n

As the new academic year approaches, Bhattacharya and Sengupta remain hopeful that more citizens will step forward to support the cause.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd39 Key Quotes<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n

“For a child to grow physically, mentally, and psychologically, we must go beyond just food and shelter.”<\/strong>
\u2014 Debmalya Bhattacharya, Co-Founder, Back to School<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

“If a child shows passion for football or music, we don\u2019t just applaud\u2014we equip them.”<\/strong>
\u2014 Payel Sengupta, Co-Founder, Back to School<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

“A school bag that gathers dust in one home can spark dreams in another.”<\/strong>
\u2014 Debmalya Bhattacharya<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\ud83d\udd39 Q&A of Deb & Payel\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Q: What inspired you to start \u2018Back to School\u2019?<\/strong>
Debmalya Bhattacharya:<\/strong> We kept meeting bright, curious children who were dropping out\u2014not because they lacked talent, but because they didn\u2019t have notebooks, shoes, or the motivation to stay. We felt we could change that.<\/p>\n

Q: What sets this initiative apart from other donation drives?<\/strong>
Payel Sengupta:<\/strong> We\u2019re not just donating. We\u2019re nurturing potential. We identify individual passions\u2014whether in sports, music, or academics\u2014and we support them holistically.<\/p>\n

Q: How can the public help?<\/strong>
Debmalya Bhattacharya:<\/strong> It’s simple\u2014just donate gently used school supplies. If you have a child, pass on last year\u2019s school items. Your kindness can keep another child in school.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd39 Context & Background<\/strong><\/h3>\n
    \n
  • \n

    Launched in Bengaluru nearly a decade ago<\/em>, \u2018Back to School\u2019<\/strong> is a grassroots initiative started by Debmalya Bhattacharya and Payel Sengupta<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    The program aims to bridge educational inequality by supporting underprivileged school-going children with essentials like books, uniforms, shoes, and extracurricular resources.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Working with seven NGOs<\/strong> across the city, the initiative currently serves around 200 students<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  • \n

    Focus areas include mental health support<\/strong>, extracurricular growth<\/strong>, and nurturing non-academic talents<\/strong> such as sports and the arts.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    • \n

      #BackToSchool #EveryChildDeservesEducation #DonateForChange #BooksNotBarriers #SupportYoungDreams #BengaluruCares #GiftEducation #SchoolForAll #FromWasteToWings<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      \"\u2018Back<\/p>\n

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      <\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Back to School: Couple\u2019s Initiative in Bengaluru Uplifts Hundreds of Underprivileged Students Bengaluru, India \u2014 In a city known for its tech prowess and innovation, a quieter revolution in education has been steadily gaining ground. For the past decade, Debmalya Bhattacharya and Payel Sengupta, a socially committed couple, have been running ‘Back to School’, an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3883,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[198],"tags":[736,189,737,90,738,676,302],"class_list":["post-3882","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bengaluru","tag-back-to-school","tag-bangalore","tag-debmalya-bhattacharya","tag-education","tag-helping-poor","tag-payel","tag-payel-sengupta"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3882"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3887,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3882\/revisions\/3887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3882"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/belgaumnow.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}