Whether it be school or college, the happiest moment for most students is when the lecture gets over, or when we get a day off. However, the only reason we are able to cherish such moments is that we had the chance to go to school in the first place. Unlike the millions of children in India, the Right To Education isn’t a distant dream for us.
Unfortunately, the children of Telibagh (Lucknow) can either quench their thirst for knowledge or satiate their hunger with barely one proper meal a day. What compelled me to write this article about these children was the answer to a 10-year-old Sameer from Telibagh. On being asked what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said, “I want to be a carpenter.”
There is nothing wrong with wishing to be a carpenter, but the problem arises when it’s a compulsion disguised as a choice. Telibagh is a community of rag pickers and manual scavengers. But financial constraints aren’t the only kind of constraints that hold them back. Social exclusion plays a major role in pushing the future generations further into the vicious circle of poverty.
However, what acts as a ray of hope in this situation is a private community school in the area called Bal Vikas Montessori School. What makes this school different from any private or government-run school is that it was set up particularly for this community.
The reason for the failure of existing private and government schools is that many students discontinue their education because they feel out of place. These children come from a very vulnerable group, so they can’t be blamed for the inferiority complex they feel. Keeping all these factors in mind, Bal Vikas Montessori was built from the perspective of inclusion instead of just providing education. It is a school by the community and for the community.
I believe that the school is an instrument for change for the Telibagh children because it feels like home to them. This is reiterated by the fact that in the interviews conducted with them, they mentioned that they would rather not go to school than go to some other school.
The school being in Telibagh and majority of the students being from the same community incentivises the children to pursue studies without the feeling of exclusion.The school timings take into account the fact that the children are bound by the financial conditions of their family and have to go to work.
Sadly, this ray of hope is fading too.
The financial sources for this school come from monthly donations of roughly $20, and sometimes money is pooled in through other sources like from friends and family. But this source of income generation is only a short-term solution. Bal Vikas Montessori is close to shutting down for the same reasons. If the school shuts down, over 300 children will be forced into child labour and exposed to social evils.
Maslow Initiative, a social organisation, has decided to assist the school through a crowdfunding campaign. It wishes to create an upward spiral. A part of the funds generated will be deposited as a fixed amount in a bank, and the interest obtained through the bank will act as a consistent form of funding. Then, with the rest of the amount, a library will be set up for students. Lastly, a volunteer program will be established for the school by connecting them to various volunteer organisations. This will provide the school with a good professional volunteer-base to help with professional teacher training and other daily activities.
This project cannot be a success without your support so be a part of this effort to bring about a change in the lives of those who have been vulnerable for far too long.