Mumbai: Every Monday to Saturday, a bunch of children aged between 5 and 16 years trot to school, sporting colourful satchels, bright faces and broad smiles. Once inside, they stand in three rows and with folded hands, sing the prayer and National Anthem in a gleeful chorus. While this may appear to be the regular feature of any school, what is surprising is that this is the school assembly in a police station at Nerul, Navi Mumbai, which for the past two years, has been hosting classes for underprivileged children.

Nearly 30 volunteers of Asha Kiran, an organisation that works for educating underprivileged children, teach 90 children in the police station’s conference hall on the first floor and hold classes in two batches: 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. The children are taught Mathematics, Science and English. Besides these, they also learn Art and Craft, Moral Science and on alternate Saturdays, are given fun lessons in Science through CDs.

The woman who made this happen is Sangeeta Alphonso, then Senior Police Inspector (PI), Nerul, and now Senior PI, Women Assistance Cell of the Belapur Crime Branch. The tough cop revealed her softer side when she saw classes for the children being held on pavements and under flyovers.

“The police station was being renovated at the time, and a hall was being constructed for meetings and seminars. As it was not going to be used on a daily basis, I requested the then Police Commissioner, K L Prasad, if it could be given to these volunteers for conducting classes. He did so readily, and classes began here from September 2014,” says Alphonso.

Within a year, the number of volunteers went up to 23 from barely three, and number of students to 35 from 12. Gradually, besides giving out space for classes, the police station began to organise activities for the children, like Christmas or Diwali celebrations and the children were also encouraged to participate in cultural programmes.

“Alphonso would interact with the children often and this greatly encouraged and motivated them,” says Sherine Sukhesh, one of the teachers.

The police also helped the children secure admission to schools nearby. “While many of the children who come here go to civic schools, others failed to get admission in the absence of an age or residential proof. We certified that they live in our jurisdiction,” says Alphonso.

Alphonso joined the department in 1989 as Police Sub-Inspector. In her 27 years with the force, she has mostly worked in the Crime Branch. As the head of Pune Cyber Crime cell, she published a DVD for police personnel to educate them about the use of the internet for cyber crime investigations.She was the first woman officer to have worked as detection officer of the Mumbai police when she was attached to Santacruz police station. She was also one of the few women officers to be selected for the Mumbai Crime Branch, and the only woman officer deputed to the USA for research in digital piracy in August 2014.

Her seniors, who have seen her grow as a police officer, are proud of her work with the children. “It is a very nice initiative started by Sangeeta Alphonso, and is reflective of our social responsibility,” says Hemant Nagrale, Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai. Many of these students, who belong to poor families, would probably have ended up doing small jobs had they not been shown the right path, he says. “We are happy they are getting a good education through this school, and are excelling in co-curricular activities too.”

Alphonso’s successor at Nerul is enthusiastic about carrying forward her legacy. “It is a humanitarian initiative, and our aim would be to ensure that more children avail of the opportunity,” says Senior PI Adhikhrao Pol.

The project has inspired many organisations and philanthropists to donate school bags, stationery and educational kits to the children. “These gestures not only bring a smile to their faces but also motivate them to attend classes,” says Sudha Anand, another teacher.

For Asha Kiran too, it’s been quite a journey. Classes were initially being held under flyovers and on pavements, and it took a great deal of convincing to allow parents to send their children in the first place, says founder Debanjali Hota. “When we started classes in February 2014, we had around 12 students,” says co-founder Vani Prasad.

“We are extremely grateful to the Navi Mumbai police for giving us space for the initiative. Alphonso has been a great pillar of support to all of us, including the children,” says Nitu Mahato, a teacher.

The children, on their part, are happy to learn here, and are excelling in studies. In 2015, 10 students appeared for the SSC examination. Of these, eight secured more than 60 per cent.

“I love to come here; the teachers are so loving and caring. I love to hear stories narrated in Hindi, and Maths is my favourite subject,” says Ashwini Kamble, a Class IV student.

Perhaps the best tribute to Alphonso’s initiative came from Arti Bharadwaj, who is preparing for her Board exams next year, and puts in three to four hours of focused study a day. “I wish to join the police force when I grow up,” she says.