While Hidden Gems began as a way to reimagine how children engage with history, its impact reaches far beyond education. The project transforms cultural spaces into platforms for social empowerment, creating opportunities for under-resourced youth while nurturing empathy and connection among participants.
Hidden Gems has created inclusive employment opportunities by training five young adults from the Salaam Baalak Trust as site guides and heritage ushers. Through a structured program developed in partnership with the Sabhyata Foundation, they gained storytelling, communication, and soft skills that open new pathways for personal and professional growth.
To ensure long-term impact, a comprehensive training manual was designed to standardize onboarding, enabling easy replication of the program at new heritage sites. This framework provides both quality control and sustainability as the initiative expands.
Building on the success of the Red Fort pilot, Hidden Gems is now scaling to five additional monuments across Delhi, creating new socioeconomic opportunities for local youth while deepening children’s engagement with India’s living heritage.
By bringing together children, families, and guides from diverse backgrounds, Hidden Gems cultivates empathy, mutual respect, and pride in shared culture, proving that learning can also be a bridge between communities.
