The seed of The Next Page was planted when Anoop started working in Shivaji Nagar as a Teach for India Fellow in 2011. At the end of his fellowship, he continued working as a school teacher at Shree Geeta Vidyalaya. (You can read a little more about his experiences by clicking here, here, or here.)
As a teacher, Anoop watched his students grow from little children into young men and women who were getting ready to face the world beyond school.
While many of them took control of their journey towards their aspirations, their were innumerable obstacles that stood in the way for many as they navigated the difficulties of growing up in one of Mumbai’s least-developed communities.
Anoop could also see that some of his students had, in particular, already discovered an independent voice and stood apart from their peers because of their passion towards certain ideas and activities.Students like Maviya, Ariza, Adnan, and Ruksar, made him think more about what had helped them stand out from their peers.
At the same time, his experiences with helping run the Foxpassers Football Club showed him how a positive and safe environment could help build a community of youth leaders.
All of this led to a realisation that planted the seed for The Next Page:
The youth of the community are often faced with a highly problematic atmosphere where gender-violence, juvenile crime, and substance abuse are rampant. An environment that values learning, creativity, and knowledge will provide them with a safe space that also pushes them to become thoughtful citizens who give back to the community.
Now, Anoop and his former students are working to help create that environment in Shivaji Nagar so that every child can have the opportunity to explore and discover their passion.
The Next Page Community Foundation Centre opened its doors to the children and young people of Govandi in January, 2020. The centre has a library at its core. This would eventually turn into a hub for all youngsters who wanted a space to explore diverse ideas, connect with their peers, and actively participate in shaping their neighbourhood.
The Next Page now has over 2,100 members, a library with 2000+ books, runs a football programme involving around 300 players, and is steadily moving towards becoming an oasis for young people in the community to discover themselves, their potential, and the peers who will help them create the change needed around them.
The Next Page 