A Hostel for Boys

YMC is running a hostel for boys at Bhadreshwar. There were 50 boys during the last academic year 2009-10. Earlier, there was a girls’ hostel, but presently there is none, because the girls’ hostel building is let out to run a government school for students of Classes VII to X. The government is constructing its own building, which will be ready soon. As soon as they shift to their new premises, YMC will again start its girls’ hostel.

In the boys’ hostel, presently, there are 16 children, all children of Muslim fishermen. They study in classes above that of Class VII. Others will join in August/September. These 16 children could not remain to study in their village schools as there are no schools to cater the children in classes above Class VII. Two of such children had gone to a Muslim Hostel as they could not afford the hostel fee of Rs.400/- per month. Another one joined a month later, as the father of the child had to raise a loan to Rs.1500/- to provide for his ward.

Devendrabhai Kandolkar, YMC Social Worker who stays with the children in the hostel says that they are very poor and further added, “My heart aches when I hear such stories from them”. Of the 16, there are two children who are rank holders in their respective classes in their village school, securing 1st and 2nd ranks last year. We found them very articulate. They put up two skits when we visited them on July 16, 2010, one relating to the ill effects of “Gutka” and another on “Child Labour”, conveying the message effectively. Some of them had won prizes in the Taluka Level Elocution Competitions. They had won first prize in a district level drama competition, that too, without any costumes. Now they have it, thanks to Smt. Mrudulaben Thacker, a retired Principal of a Government High School, who was with the YMC, since Day One of its presence in Bhadreshwar.

Devendrabhai told a very interesting story. It took place in a government school in Vendi Village, Mundra Taluka, in 2008-2009. The school had classes upto Class IV only. After the annual examination, TC (Transfer Certificate) was given to the children who passed Class IV and were asked to get admission in some other schools in Class V. When the parents approached the Head Master, he told them that he was unable to continue them as there were neither facilities nor teacher for a Class V. Then the affected children passed a resolution at a Bala Sabha demanding education under the Right To Education Act. However, the Head Master did not accede to the plea of the children. Thereon, they approached the TDO (Taluka Development Officer), who asked his Education Department to act and they gave orders to the Head Master to start Class V and admit all the affected children. The story repeated in 2009-10, when the children were promoted from Class V. Here again, the TDO helped the children to continue their studies in Class VI in the same Government School.

It would be highly unfair to conclude this piece without a word of about Devendrabhai Kandolkar. He is from Goa. After putting in 20 years as a school teacher, he works for the education of the under privileged. As a volunteer with YMC, his commitment, clarity of thought and purpose and, above all, the down to earth simplicity are worthy of emulation. He lives with the children in the hostel, eats the same food and avails of only those conveniences available to the hostelites and nothing more.

Devendrabhai’s living example reminds us of Gandhiji’s words “We must first come in living touch with them by working for them and in their midst… we must identify ourselves with the villagers who toil under the hot sun beating on their bent backs and see how we would like to drink water from the pool in which the villagers bathe, wash their clothes and pots and in which their cattle drink and roll. Then and not till then shall we truly represent the masses and they will, as surely as I am writing this, respond to every call.”

The discipline of the children, their performance of the skits he wrote are a testimony to Devendrabhai’s commitment and sincerity. He was never seen prompting a single word or giving instructions to the children throughout the programme.