Ek Tara’s Education Model Brings Learning, Music and Opportunity to Kolkata’s Marginalised Children

What began as a small programme for 20 women in Kolkata’s Topsia and Tiljala areas has evolved into an education initiative that combines schooling with music, performing arts and community engagement.

Ek Tara, founded by Vinita Saraf and Namrata Sureka, emerged from conversations with women participating in a prevention programme. According to Saraf, the women told the founders that their daughters needed greater support than they did. The response was to create educational opportunities for children in communities where access to quality learning remained limited.

The journey began with a small creche in 2011 and developed into Ek Tara in 2015. In 2018, the initiative also introduced what has been described as Asia’s first mobile school, extending its educational outreach beyond a conventional classroom setting.

Education at Ek Tara has been built around the idea that learning should extend beyond textbooks. Music and performing arts form an important part of the programme, giving children opportunities to develop confidence, communication skills and creative abilities.

The impact has also been visible within families and the wider community. One example shared by Saraf involves a tea-stall owner who initially questioned the need for his daughter to receive education. The same parent later became a supporter of Ek Tara after seeing his daughter pursue studies with the goal of becoming a Chartered Accountant.

The organisation’s association with Tomorrowland, the Belgian electronic music festival, further expanded its visibility. The partnership reportedly came together within three days and eventually connected the children with an international cultural platform.

The initiative has also used unusual experiences to expose children to new possibilities. During one such visit, a Michelin-starred chef travelled from Belgium to Kolkata and prepared waffles for around 1,000 children. For many of the students, it was their first experience of eating a waffle.

Beyond individual experiences, Ek Tara’s model highlights the role of community participation in education. By involving parents and exposing students to music, performance and new professional possibilities, the initiative seeks to make education relevant to children living in marginalised communities.

The organisation is now inviting young people from Kolkata to join a small fellowship programme and contribute a few hours each month. The initiative aims to build a larger community of volunteers around its educational work in Topsia.

For Ek Tara, the story is therefore not simply about providing access to classrooms. It is about creating an environment in which children can discover new skills, build aspirations and see education as a pathway to opportunities beyond the circumstances into which they were born.