Transforming underprivileged into stars

KANPUR: Ensconced in a dingy lane along the Ram Lalla Road in Rawatpur village is Birsamunda Vanvasi Hostel, a home to 90 underprivileged tribal children of eastern India.
At a time when the tribal communities are being overlooked by the government agencies and deprived of basic amenities, the Birsamunda Hostel in Kanpur has shown how small contributions can do wonders in the upliftment of the tribal children.
For instance, Dhananjay Riyan who was brought to the hostel at the age of 8 from Mizoram was not only provided with education through schooling but also taught to lead a disciplined life. And after completing his MBBS from Kanpur, he is now working at an ESI hospital in New Delhi.
"We feel proud when we see our children become self-dependent. Dhananjay was enrolled in class 4 when he had come to the hostel. After completing his schooling, he expressed desire to study further and got through CPMT. With the support from the medical college authorities, he completed his course and is now working in New Delhi," said Rama Kant Gupt, a volunteer at the hostel.
Like Dhananjay, there are several other children who, after completing their schooling, have fetched decent jobs and are presently leading happy lives with their families. "Had these students not been here, they would have either ended up as labourers or got into some wrong activities. Now, at least they are educated and can bear the responsibilities of their families," added Gupt.
Similarly, Hindo Bang was just three years old when he was brought to the hostel. According to the hostel inmates, he didn't know Hindi then, and now in class III, he has scored a whooping 82 per cent marks.
Recalling the sequence of the events as how the Birsamunda Hostel came into existence, Gupt said, "It was in the year 1981 when this hostel for the tribal children was started in a two-room complex at the bungalow of barrister Narendra Jeet Singh. It had only five children then. In 1986, it got shifted to Rawatpur village. It was started under a small tin-shed on a land provided by the Ram Lalla Trust."
Presently, the hostel has a strength of 90 children who belong to various villages of north Purvanchal, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and also from Kheri, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur and Sonbhadra.
There are nine children from Manipur, 10 from Arunachal, two from Nagaland and one from Meghalaya.
There is a separate prayer room where all children gather in the morning (5.30 am) and evening (6.30 pm) for routine prayers. They have a library where they can read various books. They are being imparted computer education so that they don't lag behind in the technical world.
A special annual festival is also held at the hostel. Like other students, inmates of this hostel also go to their homes during vacations.
The hostel is being run by an NGO called 'Sewa Samarpan Sansthan' and hardly gets any aid from the government.
There are 250 tribal hostels and institutions across the country which are working for the upliftment of tribal people.
"Thanks to the schools and institutions as they do not charge any fees from these children. The schools are a part of the sansthan, so we have an advantage. Besides, some organisations also provide grants. However, no support comes from the government," said one of the volunteers at the hostel.
It's not just accommodation which the Birsamunda Hostel provides, rather it teaches children how to lead a disciplined life.
They are told that they have some responsibilities towards their country and society.
"The tribal people in various parts of our country are often misguided and ill-treated. Our objective is to motivate and educate them. They are taught that they belong to the same society as others," said Tilak Raj, a retired military officer who has been looking after the children at the hostel for the past seven years.