Rescued tribal children get an education

BELGAUM: It's a far cry from the fields and cattle and tents which are home to them. Thirteen children of the Dombari community, lodged in the Prajwal Child Labour Rehabilitation Centre at Shahapur for the past five months, are learning the alphabet.
The children, who had been sent to Kolhapur district of Maharashtra around eight months ago as daily wage workers, were rescued by the police and labour department during a raid, as all of them are in the 6-14 age group.They were handed over to the women and child welfare department, from where they were sent for rehabilitation.
The children belong to two families living in Savaragali village, located in the dense forests of Khanapur taluk. They would live in small tents and hunt animals for food. Their parents would send them on odd jobs, to tend to cattle and farm work in the surrounding villages for daily wages. For them, the rehabilitation centre presents a new world of good roads, pure drinking water, shelter and other basic amenities, and also a school education.
"In season, I would cut paddy for Rs 20 a day. At other times, I'd work as a shepherd. They would give me food and Rs 25 as wages per day," said Murali Pawar, 9. Murali claimed he was an expert in extracting honey from bee hives. Gopal Powar, another rescued child, said he was happy with the food and other facilities at the centre, and loved the stories told by the teachers.
Rajendra Naik, president of Prajwal Association, told TOI, "Initially, when the children were brought to the rehabilitation centre, they were confused with the new atmosphere and were afraid to talk to the others. But they've adjusted well now. They're getting a basic education in English, Kannada and Marathi." According to Naik, these children come from such a backward area that they don't have any proof that they are citizens of this country.