Rashmi Bansal’s book I have a dream Kajari Mitra inspired about the effective work done by NGOs. Mitra, who retired as a senior manager at the British Library in Pune, also drew inspiration from Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea for Gutsy Women. As a result, she started her ‘After School’ program for children living in the tribal slums of Lohegaon, Pune.
Burma Shale Colony, a tribal settlement in Lohegaon, has about 5,000-6,000 daily wage laborers – some from the Lamani and Wadari tribes, while others work as stone cutters. Mitra, who lived nearby, often interacted with some of the tribal members and often felt dismayed at how backward these communities were. “It’s like they’re living in another era,” she reflected and decided that change was possible. “We just need to work harder.”
She established the Bhagyashai Bhavishi Shiksha Foundation in April 2023 and started reaching out to parents of slum children studying in schools run by the Pune Municipal Corporation. “One in five girls did not go to school and some who passed Class 9 dropped out for various reasons. Along with some well-wishers, we rented a room in the slum and encouraged the children to attend some fun classes after school,” Mitra said.
With a team of only seven employees, Mitra convinced several friends to teach music and conduct scientific activities. “I teach English and we have a maths teacher. There are also special sessions where 84-year-old Eske, a scientist at TCS, trains the kids on how to write their songs and raps. Shubaro Jyoti Rai Chaudhary often takes her guitar and a Wi-Fi connected smart TV. A fun class in the room teaches music,” Mitra said.
About 70 children are now enrolled in free after-school classes. When Mitra meets some deserving students, she makes it a point to spend money for their higher studies. “What saddens me the most is that some children have seen their mothers oppressed by their fathers, and more often than not, they have had to give up their studies to support the family’s income. In many cases, we have been able to raise funds to help young girls complete their education,” she said.
An example is Sania, who passed her class 10th with distinctions but had no money for higher studies. The foundation supported her and she will soon join the Tech Mahindra Smart Academy.
“My father often said that kindness should come first,” Mitra said, and not surprisingly, her journey began decades ago when she resolved to adopt a child.
“I was at the British Library in Bhopal at the time, and there were many reports about girls being left in nursing homes. I was determined to adopt one,” she recalled. Eventually, she adopted a baby abandoned at a local nursing home and gained legal custody. But her challenge was just beginning.
Talking about her adoption journey that started 30 years ago, she said, “It was difficult to adopt because there was no precedent in Bhopal. Patriarchy was the main issue. Also, there was no social worker but I had a good senior lawyer and the judge gave me interim custody very quickly after the doctor testified that I had my own flat and a good job with a stable income. However, it took a year for actual adoption. After that, BCL gave me one and a half month maternity leave. My masters, men, have started saying you get married… you have children of your own…, why adopt?” She disclosed.
But the family supported. “My father was initially afraid that the other grandchildren in the family were supporting my mother but by the time I had the baby she had passed away. My sisters were very supportive…they knew how much I loved and pampered their babies. All Baby Books at BCL After reading my dad finally gained some confidence … then he applied logic to child rearing and was very close to my son … my son actually cried for him first than for me when I dropped him off at the babysitter in Canada times,” Mitra said with a smile.
She had to shift her father from Pune to Bhopal as it was not possible to visit him every month. While she had a “nanny’s gem” for two years, the daycare centers in Bhopal did not live up to her expectations. “We moved to Canada when my son was three,” she said, adding that she dreamed of replicating the support model for single mothers in Canada in the community where she works in Pune.
When she is not teaching English or raising funds for girls interested in higher education, Mitra spends her time coordinating artists for an art festival in the slum. “These children are very isolated, so our aim is to expose them to different aspects of the world through exhibitions, concerts and plays,” explained Mitra.
Children’s parents also take advice on their health problems. “She had all her teeth broken as a victim of domestic violence, and we used our resources to make her teeth,” she said.
What is truly heartwarming about her volunteer efforts is seeing her meet doctors and nurses at the hospital to inquire about a sick child. “My five-year-old son Venkat has been in and out of the hospital many times,” said 30-year-old Manibai Rathore, who is waiting in the pediatric emergency section of KEM Hospital. Several tests are recommended to arrive at a diagnosis. We are very confused, but at least we have Kajari madam. “
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