From Melghat To UK: Tribal Boy To Study In Bristol Univ

Nagpur: Born in a remote Korku tribal village deep inside the forests of Melghat - where basic infrastructure, internet access and educational opportunities remain scarce even today - 24-year-old Kishor Lakhaji Bethekar is set to travel thousands of kilometres to pursue higher education in the United Kingdom.Hailing from Chilati (also known as Chilhati) village in Chikhaldara taluka with nearly 450 households, located about 150km from Amravati, Kishor will be soon the first person from his community to study abroad. His admission to the University of Bristol for a master's programme in education marks a rare and inspiring milestone for one of Maharashtra's most isolated tribal regions. Maharashtra tribal development department has approved a scholarship covering his tuition fees and subsistence expenses for the one-year programme.Kishor grew up in a forest village located near the tiger reserve belt of Melghat, a region long known for its geographical isolation and lack of infrastructure. A decade and a half ago, Melghat was infamous for malnutrition deaths. Even today, many villages in the area struggle with unstable mobile networks and almost non-existent internet connectivity.Despite such challenges, Kishor pursued his education with determination. He completed his early schooling in a ZP Marathi medium school before moving to an ashram school in Melghat for further studies.Language was one of his earliest hurdles. At home and within the village, people primarily speak Korku language, while communication in nearby markets happens mostly in Hindi. Marathi, the language used in school, was unfamiliar to him in the beginning."There was a time when even basic communication in Marathi was difficult because around almost 100km of the region nobody speaks it," Kishor recalled.His parents, Lakhaji Motiram Bethekar and Sugna, are small farmers cultivating around 3 acres of land. Like many families in the region, they often depend on forest-based livelihoods and seasonal migration to sustain their income. Despite financial constraints, they remained committed to supporting their children's education. Kishor is one of 5 siblings. His elder sister had to drop out after Std 2 due to family responsibilities.After completing his schooling in Melghat, Kishor moved to Mumbai in 2022 to pursue higher studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). There, he completed bachelor of social work from Savitribai Jyotirao School of Social Work. Exposure to academic environment in Mumbai helped him improve his English, as he had studied in Marathi until graduation.Mentorship and scholarships also played a crucial role in his journey. Scholarships from organisations such as Vidyadhan Sahayyak Mandal and guidance from Eklavya Foundation helped him prepare for competitive opportunities and apply for international programmes. Kishor is presently working with Eklavya Foundation Bhopal as project assistant.News of his selection has already begun inspiring people across Melghat. The story of a young man from a forest village reaching a university in the United Kingdom has spread across more than 15 nearby villages, many of which still lack mobile networks.