Shaheen Mistri: Leading the Fight for Equal Education in India
Education must go further than the confines of a traditional classroom, Shaheen Mistri opined in her interview with Better India.
Shaheen Mistri isn’t just the CEO of Teach For India. She has poured her heart and soul into this movement, changing how kids learn across the country.
Shaheen was born in Mumbai but raised in 13 different countries. When she came back to India as an 18-year-old, she was shaken by children in slums who were being left behind, stuck without good schools or the skills to compete in life.
So, in 1989, she started the Akanksha Foundation. Initially, she had 15 kids in a small centre. Thankfully, she had college friends volunteering to teach. Today, Akanksha supports 4,500 children across 51 centres and 16 schools in Mumbai and Pune. But Shaheen wanted to do more.
So, inspired by Teach For America, she launched Teach For India (TFI) in 2008. Since then, 1,700 Fellows have taught in under-resourced schools, and over 1,200 alumni are now thriving to bring change in education.
Shaheen could see the ripple effect of education
Shaheen saw early on that education wasn’t just about grades—it transformed lives. When Kids from Akanksha get jobs, they start helping their families, standing up for their communities, and helping others come out of the vicious cycle of poverty.
Spending time with these children has given her many memorable moments. One such moment stayed with her. At a Christmas party for underprivileged kids, a little girl refused to eat her vanilla ice cream. When Shaheen reminded her that the ice cream would melt the girl replied that she would share it with her younger brother. That selflessness, Shaheen realized, was the same spirit driving kids to value education—not just for themselves, but for others.
Teach For India: More Than Just Classrooms
TFI isn’t just about textbooks. Through ed-tech, interactive curriculums, and remedial teaching, it’s reimagining learning. The Fellowship places young leaders in government schools, while Firki trains teachers online, InnovatED supports education startups, and TFIx helps entrepreneurs launch similar programs in their regions.
But there are challenges in every step. These kids struggle at many levels and face hunger, abuse, unemployment, and more.
TFI’s Fellows don’t just teach. They go beyond teaching to fight for these children, ensuring they’re safe, and supported.
Why It All Matters
India still has 8.4 crore children out of school (2011 Census). Poverty forces many to work instead of learn. Shaheen, who studied in 10 schools across 5 countries, knew education was a privilege, and she’s spent her life making sure it isn’t just for the lucky few.
Shaheen believes that these kids aren’t problems to fix. They’re future leaders. When we change our perspectives and see them that way, everything changes.