Ali Basha’s project offers educational opportunities and creative outlets to vulnerable children in the face of industrial pollution and socioeconomic hardships, promoting leadership and community awareness for a sustainable future.

When Ali Basha was seventeen years old, he and his friend Chitra began tutoring children from North Chennai’s vulnerable communities who were at risk of dropping out of school because of their unstable home lives and poverty.

Basha had firsthand knowledge of the effects of low socioeconomic circumstances on early childhood experiences, having dropped out of school due to his family’s dire financial circumstances. Thus, the two made the decision to begin unofficial after-school programs.

In addition to exposing the kids to extracurricular activities like art, music, and photography—all of which are easily accessible to kids attending private schools—these classes are made to support the kids’ learning in fundamental subjects like science and math. Basha’s efforts culminated in the establishment of Zenith Tuition Centre in Tiruvottiyur, North Chennai, in 1992.

In order to support and grow the center’s operations, he operated a catering company on the side. Children at Zenith engaged in activities that went beyond conventional academics, learned life skills, and grew resilient.

In order to expose them to a world beyond their limited and frequently conflict-ridden home and school environments, Basha frequently took them to museums, galleries, and other community locations.

Giving them a peek into the world beyond their homes and schools has been my job. This, in my opinion, is what would have kept me interested in learning as a young boy.

According to a CDC report, because their everyday lives are frequently unstable and unsafe, children living in poverty are much more likely to experience mental health problems, such as anxiety and developmental disorders.

More obstacles to resilience and academic success are created by the buildup of stress, particularly in early childhood, which impairs their cognitive capacities, focus, and motivation for life.

A protracted struggle for ecology and land Thousands of at-risk kids have benefited from Basha’s Zenith Tuition Centre over the past thirty years, which has helped them find a path to education and personal development within their unique cultural and personal contexts.

Some have emerged as leaders who strive to end the cycle of exploitation and poverty brought on by unbridled industrialization that has impacted their families and land.

Protests against the Adani Group’s proposed expansion of Kattupalli Port in North Chennai have been a significant one.

The Kosasthalaiyar River and Ennore Creek, vital water sources currently beset by ash and oil leaks, have been seriously contaminated by years of violations, putting native fish populations in jeopardy and rendering the water dangerous for locals.

If expansion continues, this region, which is already susceptible to erosion, would experience a significant loss of shorelines. Additionally, it would jeopardize regionally specific bird and marine species,” says Basha collaborator Satwik Gade.

The people who have suffered the most are fishermen, whose livelihoods depend on these once-thriving waters. Since they can no longer fish, many are turning to low-wage, unconventional jobs, which has affected their way of life and means of subsistence.

Residents, especially those from fishing communities in Ennore, Pulicat, and neighboring villages, have been empowered by environmental activists like Basha to recognize the challenges these projects have created.

“Loss of traditional farming methods and livelihoods has displaced local communities and cut off their source of sustenance,” Gade continues.

Basha has devoted years of his life to teaching the community to respect its rights and protect its delicate ecosystems.

In order to raise awareness of the risks of unbridled industrialization and trade expansion in peripheral Chennai—a region that is more overlooked than the Greater Chennai Corporation regions like Ennore and Minjur—he has established a network of educators and educational institutions.

“Large corporations frequently promise local communities short-term economic benefits in order to purchase land in environmentally sensitive areas. These can include temporary work or monetary compensation.

Although these offers may seem attractive at first to those living in vulnerable areas, Basha notes that they frequently fail to take into consideration the long-term social and environmental costs they incur. According to Basha, these advantages in and around Ennore include sporting events and awards, medical