A few inspiring cases from the blocks

Dinabandhu Mahato is a volunteer from Joypur Block, Purulia. He lives in Kulara, a very remote village under Mukundapur Gram Panchayat. Dinabandhu is one of the few educated people in that village. The 30 year old man has been a part of the Read India program since 2010. From the very beginning his dedication towards the cause of education and motivation has been a source of inspiration for other volunteers as well as the members of Pratham. Dinabandhu who is a farmer and lives with his parents and a brother could not complete higher education due to financial issues. However his love for learning and desire to see that every person in his village receives an education propelled him to join the Read India program as a volunteer. Dinabandhu teaches 16 class 4 children after school hours in Kurala Primary School. His classes are greatly enjoyed by the children and he takes personal interest in their progress – meeting and holding discussions with the guardians and dedicatedly following the CAMaL teaching techniques to get around with the weaker children. He participates in most of the events organized by Pratham and in spite of the very real problem of communications in that remote corner of Purulia he frequently meets and communicates with the Pratham team members to discuss the progress of the children. Dinabandhu tries to help the poorer members of the village and is extremely popular because of the selfless support that he provides to the weaker children of the village. Despite not being able to continue formal education his passion for literature has not diminished and very often he writes poetry and little songs. In spite of the tremendous amount of difference he is making, Dinabandhu at heart remains a very humble and straightforward person. He is very proud to be a member of the Pratham team; his commitment towards his village and towards the cause of education which remains strong as ever in spite of many difficulties makes his story a compelling one and his example worthy of emulating.

The case of Madan Mahato, a Pratham volunteer living in the village of Bheria (Baragam GP), Joypur Block, Purulia is noteworthy. Madan runs a Read India centre in his village in the afternoon. Madan’s father – a farmer -  died last month and he lives with his mother. He is a student of class 12 and is due to write his school leaving exams in a couple of months. In spite of the recent upheavals in his family in the aftermath of his father’s death and the fact that very shortly he is going to sit for a very crucial exam which could have a telling effect on his career – Madan has not backed down from his commitment towards the children of his village and runs his centre with full dedication. Most people living in his village are illiterate and the state of education facilities in that remote and backward village is abysmal. Madan is one of the few youngsters in that village who have completed school. He is concerned about the status of education of his village and when Pratham started operations there he keenly joined in. He runs a centre of 14 children and effectively employs all the teaching methodologies that he has been trained to use. He follows the academic progress of his students and regularly interacts with the guardians regarding the same. Madan is an ambitious and determined boy and works hard in order to ensure a bright future. He attends the E.F.E classes regularly in spite of the fact that the centre is a very long way away from his home and he has to traverse this distance by bicycle – there being no other means of transport available. In his spare time Madan likes to read books and listening to music. He wants to be a teacher and is doing his best to fulfil his dream. 

Subhas Baddokar, a nine year old boy studying in class 4 attends the Read India centre in the village of Raghunathpur, Mohammad Bazaar. Though he is in class 4 Subhas hardly ever goes to school. That is because he has been diagnosed with epilepsy and is prone to suffer from fits. The doctor has advised his parents to ensure that Subhas doesn’t have to undergo any stress related to academics. So Subhas doesn’t go to school regularly. However he attends the Read India class out of his own initiative. The child enjoys the classes so much that he implores his mother to take him to the centre and often his mother Purnima is found standing nearby while the Read India class is in progress holding a medicine bottle. Though Subhas is a quiet and shy child he loves to take part in the different class activities and mingling with his classmates. When he joined the Read India class several months back he was in the letter level, whereas now he has made the jump to the word level. His teacher, the Read India volunteer expects him to make the jump to the paragraph level very soon. Subhas’s father Mithun is a daily labourer while his mother is a homemaker. Both are unlettered however they are both very keen to ensure proper education for their two sons. Purnima often gets very upset about her son’s medical condition which forces him to miss many of the things that children of his age take for granted however the child doesn’t allow such adverse circumstances to curb his spirits and really seems to enjoy the stress free environment of the Read India classes where he can learn his lessons with fun.