Active citizenship is often spoken about in abstract terms. At Angel Xpress Foundation (AXF), it is practised every day—in classrooms, in neighbourhoods, and in the everyday choices made by students and volunteers alike.
AXF was founded on the belief that education must extend beyond academics. Our work with children from underserved communities focuses not only on learning outcomes, but on nurturing agency, empathy, and responsibility. This is made possible through a volunteer-led model that brings engaged citizens directly into classrooms.
Today, AXF operates across 34 centres in Mumbai, reaching almost every corner of the city. Over 1,400 volunteers teach nearly 3,600 students from under-resourced neighbourhood communities—entirely voluntarily. What began as a local effort has grown into a citywide movement rooted in one simple idea: when citizens show up consistently, change becomes possible.
Across AXF centres, classrooms are led by volunteers who teach not for compensation, but out of commitment. Many are homemakers and retired professionals who may stand outside formal civic spaces, yet bring time, experience, and a deep desire to contribute. Through AXF, they step into meaningful public roles—supporting children academically while strengthening students’ confidence, social-emotional growth, and sense of possibility.
The exchange is mutually transformative. Children gain consistent role models who embody care and accountability. Volunteers rediscover purpose, confidence, and renewed professional identity. Active citizenship here is not symbolic; it is practised week after week through steady presence.
Teaching at AXF goes beyond syllabus completion. Classrooms encourage students to think critically, understand their environments, and engage with real-world issues. We do not promote political ideologies or leaders. Instead, students are guided to understand local challenges, listen to diverse viewpoints, and recognise how governance and civic systems shape everyday life.
This philosophy becomes visible in action. At the Santacruz centre, students once noticed that a neighbourhood public space had become an open garbage dump, posing health risks. Rather than dismissing it as someone else’s responsibility, they chose to act. During Daan Utsav, they organised a cleanliness drive and spoke with residents about shared responsibility. Their efforts continued beyond the event. Over time, dumping stopped completely. Today, the space houses Ganapati during festivals and sometimes serves as a study area for local children.
The deeper impact, however, is often seen in individual journeys.
Khushboo Suman Jha, now 17, dreams of becoming an IAS officer and advancing gender equality. The daughter of a security guard who moved the family from Darbhanga, Bihar, to Mumbai in search of opportunity, Khushboo struggled deeply when she first arrived. She could not understand English, found it difficult to adjust to city schooling, and lacked confidence in the classroom.
At age 11, she joined Angel Xpress’s Santacruz centre. What began as support in English soon became a turning point in her life. Volunteers helped her build not only academic skills, but belief in herself. Today, Khushboo speaks confidently, scored 84% in her Class 10 boards, has won a scholarship for further education, and now mentors younger students at the centre.
More importantly, she says she has “learnt to learn, not to rote learn.” She reads newspapers, follows current affairs, and is already preparing for the UPSC examination. “My teachers taught me to value every person I meet,” she says. “I want to ensure women are respected and empowered to think and act freely.”
Her journey reflects what happens when trust, mentorship, and steady support meet aspiration. Citizenship, in her case, is not a lesson—it is a lived conviction.
Through initiatives such as Daan Utsav, beach clean-ups, and community visits, students regularly step outside the classroom. They interact with sanitation workers, traffic police, hawkers, senior citizens, and children with special needs. These experiences shift them from sympathy to empathy, from awareness to accountability. Respect for all forms of work and shared responsibility for public spaces become lived values rather than abstract lessons.
AXF works closely with adolescents because this is the stage when values, identity, and worldviews take shape. Rather than teaching citizenship as theory, we create opportunities for it to be experienced. When young people see that small, local actions can bring visible change, responsibility begins to feel personal and possible.
What defines AXF is quiet consistency. Volunteers show up week after week. Students are trusted with responsibility. Citizenship is not lectured upon; it is demonstrated. Given space and trust, children from underserved communities often step into problem-solving and leadership roles within their own neighbourhoods.
AXF’s journey reinforces a simple truth: active citizenship does not require grand gestures. It requires showing up, staying engaged, and choosing responsibility over indifference. That is the spirit that guides our work and shapes the ACTiZENS we hope to nurture.
An ex-financial services professional, Ms. Anubha Sharma founded Angel Xpress Foundation in 2012. The Mumbai-based NGO enables educated, affluent citizens to support and mentor students from low-income families within their neighbourhoods through education, skilling, and holistic development.
