Chandan lost both his parents at a very young age and had to drop out of school. Being the eldest, he had to shoulder the financial responsibility of his three younger sisters. We intervened and took responsibility for not only educating the four siblings but also of their housing and other living expenses. Today, Chandan has completed school and drives the school bus to earn a living. He aspires to become a teacher and a mentor in the same school that once supported him after completing higher education.
Most of tribal India is economically challenged, and stories like that of Chandan are rife. From establishing the first tribal school in 1999, we have come a long way. Every year, we provide free education to over 3000 first-generation learners who otherwise would not have received any formal education.
How the project started?
In 1999, Brij Bhushan Chawla, an Art of Living volunteer, inspired by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s vision of for free education, started a tribal school in Jharkhand. He shares, “Building a school is easy. Building a tribal child into a confident person who is capable to not just make a living but live a joyous life and be of service to the community, that became a lifelong commitment for us.”
From a single classroom in one village, this project has now reached 67,887 students in 20 states across India.
However, the initial years were hard. Recounts Brij Bhushan, “There were no roads, no electricity, and no proper water supply in the area which prevented access to far-flung tribal natives. Our team had to toil to get the electricity lines and the roads built to reach these places. Moreover, the team met with lack of support from the locals, who were used to leaving the older children at home to look after the younger ones before going to work.”
However, community initiatives like vocational training for parents, free medical camps, tree plantation drives and organic farming workshops helped the team foster relationships with the community and create a greater buy-in.
Providing free, holistic education
These schools run free of charge and provide books, uniforms, school bags, bicycles, and transportation, along with lunch and milk to the students. The children learn languages, modern science, history, geography, ecology and other subjects taught in schools all over the nation. Alongside, they get a taste of yoga, meditation, and ancient chanting.
Each tribal school has its own garden which is maintained by the students themselves. Fruits and vegetables are cultivated using zero budget natural farming techniques. Arts and crafts and sports make an integral part of the student curriculum.
Despite using modern techniques (computers) to educate, the mentors do everything to maintain the cultural heritage of the tribe by encouraging the children to perform dance-dramas in their traditional language and costumes.
The impact
Today, there is a marked difference in these tribal villages and the mindset of the students and their parents. Apart from increased literacy, there is a reduction in child labor, decrease in early girl child marriage in the villages and lesser incidents of early pregnancy and miscarriages.
Even parents have started showing enthusiasm for sending their children to school. Mitra Agarwal, Project Coordinator in Arunachal Pradesh shares, “It is very encouraging to see parents who have never gone to school lining up to get their children educated. The response of the parents is so overwhelming that we have decided to start classes for the adults too.”
Some of the schools have an equal number of girls and boys, and the general attendance of students is close to 89 percent – a rare feat for schools operating in tribal zones. In fact, the number of applications for admission is on the rise each year.
Moreover, free medical camps held regularly by the Art of Living in these areas has led to better health and hygiene. Before the project started, malaria was rampant in the area, and child mortality rates were quite high. Today, the regular supply of medical help by the Art of Living volunteers has minimized the death toll, making this endeavor a success.
How does the journey look so far?
- 20 schools in remote tribal areas in Jharkhand, West Bengal and Tripura
- Over 3000 students receive free education every year
- 10% absence and dropout rates – much lower than the country average for similar schools
- 1 teacher for 30 students – much better than the national average
- 48 girls to 52 boys – much better than the national average
Long-term vision
On being asked what the students want to become when they grow up, their unanimous response is, “I want to become a doctor or a teacher and serve my own community.” Plans are being made by the volunteers to explore further career opportunities for these students after they graduate from school. Keeping that in mind, a vocational training center called Vigyan Ashram is set up to allow the students to learn skills that can help them earn their livelihood. This center imparts practical training in the field of agriculture, animal husbandry, mechanical workshop, electrical and masonry work and use of natural energy resources.
We are looking for partnership opportunities to expand the infrastructure and to manage operational expenses in these schools.
