Parivaar Ashram for Birhor Adivasi in Jharkhand

Parivaar is a humanitarian organisation, based in 24 Parganas (S), West Bengal headquartered at Parivaar Ashram, Village- Barkalikapur, P.O. Bakhrahat, District 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal. Parivaar Ashram is a Residential Institution for Education and Overall Development of erstwhile destitute children from categories like orphans, girls vulnerable to exploitation and victimisation, street children, abandoned children, children from highly impoverished tribal areas, and other such highly vulnerable children. Parivaar Ashram is essentially a community of children and Resident Seva-vratis whose only aim is to love and serve the children as their younger brothers and sisters. Starting from scratch (with just 3 resident children) in 2003 and thereafter developed brick by brick, Parivaar Ashram is being continuously developed and moulded into a unique institution transforming the lives of each of its resident members (children as well as adults). At present, Parivaar Ashram's Residential Institution has 332 resident children (both boys and girls) who have found a new life at Parivaar and are being prepared for bright future through quality education and overall development. Parivaar Ashram at Bakhrahat, about 30 Km from Kolkata city is spread over 8 acres (about 320,000 sq. ft) of land. At the Parivaar Ashram campus is also located Parivaar's own Formal School 'Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth', a quality academic institution, in which the resident children of Parivaar study.

Children are admitted at a young age of 4 to 10 into Parivaar Ashram. Each resident child once admitted into Parivaar will be under the care and custody of Parivaar till higher education (graduation / post-graduation) and subsequent job placement and settlement into future phase of life. Parivaar is and shall be behind each child and pave his/her way into any future career which he/she is aspring for and showing promise of making to, whether it is a stream graduation in humaities, commerce or sciences, or a professional degree education in engineering/medicine. For example, children showing aptitude for meritorious professional lines like engineering or medicine or any other such lines shall be trained and fully supported (just as parents do for their on children) for completion of that higher education and subsequent placement. Our eldest group of children is already in Class 8 and despite the fact that they were late-starters in academic path (trained and initiated straight into Class 4 in 2004) they are outperforming children from educated households in their respective schools, and securing top-bracket ranks.
In the next 2 years, Parivaar is being developed to accommodate 1000 such resident children while ensuring the same high quality. A separate All-Girls Residential Institution is on the way of being developed which will be gradually expanded to accommodate 500 resident girls. Construction for the same is going on. Residential Institutions shall also be started in some of the far-off tribal areas where Parivaar is working.

Parivaar Ashram being the hub of training of Seva-vratis, is also the base for many other projects serving the rural areas in 24 Parganas district as well as far-off tribal areas in districts of Midnapore (West), Bankura, and Purulia in West Bengal and Singhbhum (East) in Jharkhand. Two main tribes, Sabar and Birhore, are the main beneficiaries of Parivaar's tribal service programs. 400 such families from highly impoverished tribal areas are enrolled in Parivaar's regular Foodstock Scheme whereby 9 tonnes (9000 Kg) of foodstock (Rice and Dal) are ferried and distributed by Parivaar Seva-vratis through most inaccessible terrains in these areas every month. 75 children from these tribal areas have also been admitted at Parivaar Ashram Residential Institution.

Parivaar has also developed a wide field-base in various highly impoverished tribal areas in West Bengal and Jharkhand in districts of Midnapore (West), Purulia, Bankura in West Bengal, and Singhbhum (East) in Jharkhand.

Parivaar's work has attracted an increasing number of supporters from amongst Indians in varied walks of life, and at the same time has been able to build a cadre of highly dedicated youth Seva-vratis who are initiated into ideals of service and trained at Parivaar Ashram.

In the Financial Year April '07- March '08, Parivaar spent more than Rs 1 Cr on Parivaar Ashram Residential Institution, Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth, and host of the other initiatives in tribal areas in West Bengal and Jharkhand. About Rs 1.5 Crore were spent on infrastructure expansion at Parivaar Ashram and land purchase and ongoing construction for the separate All Girls' Residential Institution that Parivaar is developing. Towards this Parivaar received more than Rs 3 Cr in the said Financial Year, by Parivaar supporters worldover. Out of this the bulk was from hundreds of individual supporters who inspired by Parivaar contribute to it magnanimously.

ADMISSION PROCESS OF CHILDREN INTO PARIVAAR

Parivaar Ashram is a Residential and overall life development institution for erstwhile other destitute children. Typically Parivaar receives everyday about 5 to 10 cases of such children everyday by different field organizations, relatives or neighbors of the child in case, concerned individuals, members of local bodies, Panchayats etc. After filtering Prima Facie information, cases for site visit and detailed investigation are short-listed. Parivaar has a special Enquiry team that conducts site enquiries from where the case-request has come. This team visits the child's existing location and collects detailed profile, facts and information of the child, based on interaction with the child's referring persons / entity and other possible sources. This site report is then discussed and deliberated upon, and the severity of the need of the child to be admitted for a long term into Parivaar Ashram is validated and decision thereof is made. The important parameters looked into while admitting into Parivaar Ashram are as follows:

1. The child's age during admission into Parivaar should be between 4 to 10 years, though certain exceptions are made
2. There should be no possibility of child's dropout from this long-term stay at Parivaar Ashram at least he or she becomes of age and is able to make decision for himself / herself, grow to his / her potential and find a place as a socially dutiful, worthy individual.
3. Parivaar acts as the custodian of the child and makes all the decisions in his / her best interest.
4. The child will continue to be in and under the care of Parivaar, even after their legal age of adulthood i.e. 18 years just as in any family parents and the family continues to support their ward financially and otherwise until the child (who shall be a youth by then) has found a place for himself / herself as described above.
5. Generally, along with one child all his / her siblings are also admitted into Parivaar as all of them are destitute/homeless/'family-less' and Parivaar's principle is that all siblings should progress and have bright futures so that their familial bonding remains intact in future.
6. Every two months there is a date on which the recognized guardian or close relative of the child (as recognized by Parivaar authorities) may visit Parivaar and meet the child.

Generally children admitted into Parivaar are from categories like orphans, street and pavement dwelling children, children with critically / terminally ill mother and no father and other family support, children from other crises background like whose father ahs deserted the mother and children, vulnerable girl children from prostitution-infested areas who are under the risk of being sucked into flesh trade unless educationally-equipped. A large number of children are from rural areas as well.

Orientation

A Brief of Scheme of Education for the resident children at Parivaar.
Typically a child is admitted into Parivaar within the age group of 4 years to 12 years. All these children without exception have had no exposure to education whatsoever, before being admitted into Parivaar.
There are 3 categories in which the children can be placed as far as their educational path is concerned and three different action plans are taken for them.

A) The youngest admittees into Parivaar (age 4 to 6)

The youngest admittees (aged 4,5,6) are those who are rightly aged to start their academic life, and are admitted into most initial classes (Kindergarten / Class 1) since their age is in accordance with the class they are admitted into. Right from the beginning they are able to progress in their studies without any difficulty as there is a strong battery of teachers at Parivaar Ashram, who teach these children after their day school. Also the pace at which at these children are taught is just right for their age as no fast-bridging has to be done for this category since they do not have an educational backlog vis-a-vis their age.

B) Admittees who have a big educational backlog

Children admitted to Parivaar who have age of 8 to 12 (aged 8,9,10,11,12) and still not having any exposure to education, are first trained in-house for one year at Parivaar through what we call 'Fast-Learning Bridge Course' by our battery of teachers, and then made to be admitted into a class suitable for their age. For example, at the end of the bridge course a nine-year-old child would be admitted in Class 4 or at least Class 3.

C) Children who have already got past either A or B, and are now already settled in regular academic path in Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth or other Formal Schools

The children who have in the previous years got past the above 2 stages i.e. who are now already settled in the regular academic path at a normal pace (i.e. one Standard (Grade) in one year) get admission into either Parivaar's own Formal School 'Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth' (which at present is from Class 1 to 5) or (for Class 5 onwards) into other good quality schools in the area through competitive admission tests. For all the students in this category too, 'After-the-school-tutorship' is of immense importance and is an essential component of our education efforts. There are two reasons for this:

1. The first reason flows from central theme of Parivaar that is 'Excellence'. Parivaar's vision is that all the resident children continuously excel from strength to strength and as per their abilities shape a bright future for themselves in various professional lines. Excellence and not mediocrity is what we aim for each child in Parivaar. Our vision is that our children excel from one level to a higher level.

2. Because of the fact that many of the children have been jumped into a higher class through fast learning bridge course it may so happen that some may initially struggle a bit when admitted into a higher class in a formal school. But we have invariably seen that because of focused 'After-School Tutorship' study hours (4 to 5 hours in addition to the school hours) the performance of each child in every successive examination improves. The children who get admission into outside schools by appearing into schools' competitive admission tests continuously match the performance of other children coming from regular households who did not have any education backlog. With respect to these children too, their performance betters with time.

Our team of teachers – both at Amar Bharat Vidyapeeth as well as Tutorship Program work very hard with each child, so that each child can continue to excel and learn to bring out the best from within themselves. Each day of their academic progress is noted by the teachers and other Resident elders of the Residential Institution (responsible for the overall caretaking of the children), and it is ensured that they perform and master that very day whatever is taught in the schools they attend. During the last week in each month, detailed tests are taken for all subjects for all the children both in their Schools as well as in internally in the 'After-the-School Tutorship'. This helps in continuous evaluation and correction resulting in improvement.

Parivaar has always being following this principle - A child before being admitted into Parivaar may have been an orphan/homeless/family less/destitute child, but after being admitted into Parivaar the child is no more so. He has then got a Home, Family, and Future. Thus the first thing done is to de-tag and de-label this unhappy epithet of 'homeless child'. Therefore, when Parivaar children (who are in higher classes of 6 and 7) have to seek admission in outside schools, Parivaar never pushes the admission of children into schools merely on sympathetic background. Self-Dignity and self-confidence have to be earned and our children do so by getting admission in good schools on the basis of their merit and re-strengthen it by their continuous good performance in their school. It may happen that a child may not get admission into School A, failing to clear its merit test, but gets admission into School B and advances from there, always having a chance to excel in future.

Parivaar in Jharkhand

Swami Satyabodhananda (Chiranjib Maharaj) of the Ramakrishna Mission had told me about the plightful condition of the Birhore tribal community in Singhbhum (East) district of Jharkhand. For the last few months, Chiranjib Maharaj was posted at the Ghatsila Centre of the Mission and he was striving to uplift the condition of these tribesmen who lived in the region. He suggested that I should first visit this place and then see if something can be done in this direction. Consequently, we planned a visit on 3rd and 4th April. From our Parivaar Ashram along with me came Pulakda and Nirmal (our Jeep driver) and we proceeded in Jeep to Ghatsila in Jharkhand about 280 km from our Parivaar Ashram. We stayed at the Ghatsila Ashrama of the Ramakrishna Mission. We were taken by Chiranjib Maharaj to a number of highly impoverished villages in this area like Bhadua, Chhatardanga and Tumankocha.

The condition in these villages cannot be described in words. That these brothers and sisters of ours have been languishing for thousands of years in darkness and continue to be in the same condition was the foremost thought that struck us. The children were all naked and malnourished, women half-clad, old-aged persons were like living corpses. They live in conditions that can hardly be called human. Generation after generation, these people live in the same conditions with no better conditions bequeathed to their posterity. In any progressive society material and cultural conditions improve from one generation to another. One could not see any such progress here for the reason that the most important resource, namely, the human resource, has remained completely undeveloped. In such material conditions it is no wonder that the lamp of education has not been lit here which has further kept the region in such material conditions. To my mind this perpetual misery cannot be broken unless a whole generation of these people is shaken up, quality education given, a total regeneration and unlocking of their human potential happens. The lives transformed in one generation shall surely make way for further progress in future generations once they through education break free from this bonding orbit of ignorance and helplessness. It is something like the concept of Escape Velocity in Mechanics, the velocity with which a body can get past the downward pull of earth. In their case quality education and human-resource development is the only force, which can nullify the downward force of ignorant helplessness and resignation, and is capable of lifting an entire generation and thereby transforming the lives of future generations too. Thus one should see this not only from the point of view of so many people of this generation but countless future generations of these brethren of ours. Lift one generation, the following ones would surely be in better conditions.

A lot was needed to be done there on an ongoing basis to have a life-transforming effect. The idea strengthened in my mind to start a full-fledged Seva-Ashram in this area where highly dedicated young workers can take the vow of service and make upliftment of these people their only mission. While for Parivaar to do something there in this way could take time, I suggested to Chiranjib Maharaj that we can at least do something by admitting some children from this area to Parivaar Ashram's Residential Institution for Education and Overall Development of Destitute children where 225 erstwhile destitute children are marching towards gifted manhood and life-excellence possibilities. Chiranjib Maharaj was very jubilant at this idea and began to place this idea before the villagemen and articulating the transforming effect it could have on their children if they could be admitted to Parivaar. The villagemen were very enthusiastic about it and wanted to know more. We therefore thought it best that a few senior villagemen should accompany us to Parivaar Ashram and stay there for a few days to see how Parivaar is redefining the entire meaning of the term 'Destitute Home' and what people commonly visualise when they hear this. That the children who till the age of 9/10 years did not even know alphabet could within 2 years or so could start outperforming children coming from regular households influenced our 4 guests. They said on going back they would convene meetings in various villages of the Birhore tribal community and compile a list of children from the community who can be admitted to Parivaar. We told them we would again visit the area in 2-3 weeks time and would then finalize the children to be admitted.

On 25th we again visited the area. This time Nimaida accompanied me along with Nirmal. On our way to Bhadua village we took a wrong way and landed up at another village by name of 'Bhadua'. It took us a while to realize that this was not the Bhadua where we had intended to go and again jeeping our way from on hillock to another in an area reputed to have wild elephants roaming around we finally reached Bhadua during late evening when it was completely dark. Our village brethren at at Bhadua heartily welcomed us. The grown up men can speak Bengali with fluency and we conversed with them in Bengali. In fact most of the tribal men here are fairly fluent in 3 languages – their own Birhore dialect, Hindi, and Bengali. It is interesting to note this as only a very miniscule percent of world population can speak 3 languages and living in forests they have learnt these languages. After treating the children and womenfolk with biscuits (we had brought about 200 packets of biscuits) we got distributed the 50 odd Sareees that we had brought with us for the womenfolk. The village Pradhan Shri Samara Birhoree who had been to Parivaar Ashram had already compiled a long list of about 50 children from 8-9 different villages of the area who were keen to be admitted to Parivaar Ashram. He said that on the following he would convene a meeting of all these children and their guardians where we could note the details after interaction with them and finalise the particular children to be admitted. We told them in the first phase we would admit 15 children in May and once they get settled we would admit remaining children in phases. We therefore shortlisted 15 children in the age-group of 6 to 9 years.
We also thought that it would be helpful if we could take a couple of moderately educated young men from these villages who could be trained as Housebrothers for caretaking of these boys at Parivaar Ashram so that at least initially for this group there would be someone who could understand their dialect, habits etc. There was one in Bhadua village who had studied till Class 10 and he readily agreed for this. We asked him to accompany us to Parivaar Ashram where his training as Housebrother would start. He is at present at Parivaar Ashram with us. We decided 15th May as the date for bringing all the 15 children to Parivaar. 3-4 villagemen have taken responsibility to bring the group to Howrah station in train from Ghatsila. We shall receive the group at Howrah station and from there bring the children to Parivaar. We left a sum of Rs 2000/- for covering the costs of the journey of this group to Howrah. Thus, this is the beginning we have made in this direction, which can open a new chapter in Parivaar's work and mission. I think everything has gone in the best possible way till now but the real challenge starts from15th May when this group begins to settle in Parivaar. The challenge is how quickly they shall successfully respond and settle in a routine of education and overall development. We have no doubt that they surely will, as all our Parivaar children have started from zero and a good number did not have exposure in Bengali before they came. We have geared up for this new challenge.

Swami Satyabodhananda (Chiranjib Maharaj) at Bhadua village during our first trip on 3rd April
Swami Satyabodhananda (Chiranjib Maharaj) at Bhadua village during our first trip on 3rd April

Villagers at Bhadua village
Villagers at Bhadua village

Children at Tumankocha village
Children at Tumankocha village

Children at Chhatardanga village
Children at Chhatardanga village

The four Jharkhand villagemen at Parivaar Ashram with Vinayakda and Pulakda (5th April)
The four Jharkhand villagemen at Parivaar Ashram with Vinayakda and Pulakda (5th April)

Common Meal of Rice with live red ants (picture taken at Chhatardanga village)
Common Meal of Rice with live red ants (picture taken at Chhatardanga village)

Vinayakda with the villagers at Bhadua village during second trip on 26th April
Vinayakda with the villagers at Bhadua village during second trip on 26th April