Model school changing lives

Two years back, 12 year old Kanti Kisan’s major work in a day was to help her mother with household chores. She has never liked it much as she wanted to read and complete her matriculation like some of the other girls of her village Tumajore in Sundargarh district. Her father is daily wager who gets a mere 2000 rupees a month from his work to run a family of four throughout a month. Kanti’s parents somehow manage to send their son to the nearby school for elementary education but for Kanti it was a dream. According to her during that time nearly every day she used to go to school with her brother, have good food and dress but all in her dreams. She wanted to read but her family could not afford her education.

It was not just her story it was the story of most children of her village just two year back. But the interest and leadership of some of the villagers made the dreams of Kanti and a lot like hers’ dream come true. With the help of CYSD, Prayas they established a model private school at their village on the Government land. As the basic aim of the school was to provide education to the poor children the Education Committee of the school decided to keep the school fee for a whole year to just Rs. 500 and 15 Kgs of rice for mid day meal to the children. This nominal fee for a whole year led most of the children to enroll in the school now. In fact a batch of students have also passed their 10th Standard from this school and now going to nearby college also.

Kanti now studies in 7th Standard and every morning she goes to Tumajore High school in the company of her brother with a broad grin on her face. ‘My daughter stood 2nd in her class this year, I pray for the CYSD people every day. If not for them my children could have never seen the light of knowledge, says Kanti’s mother. ‘I want to go to college and do job in future’ says a confident Kanti.

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