About 50 families from different villages in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh go to Kammaredu village in Ballari district for three months every year for agricultural work. While the adults of the families visit the farm fields in the surrounding villages, children, old and sick spend their days at the temporary tent camp they set up on the outskirts of the village.
Although workers come from special villages in the neighboring state, they do not have a fixed place to live as they move from one place to another in search of livelihood.
The uncertainty of their place of residence deprives their children of formal schooling. The constitutional provision that obligates the state to provide free and compulsory education to all children in the age group of six to 14 has no meaning for these children.
However, fortunately, this time, nomadic children have something to cheer for. Sanmarga Galera Balga, a Ballari-based group of charity-oriented individuals, set up a school at the camp about a month ago to ensure that children are not deprived of their right to education. The self-financed organization has appointed two Bachelor of Education degree holders as instructors for an honorarium of ₹ 6,000 per month. It has provided children with study and exercise materials such as slates and books that were purchased from donors. It is also providing food, sweets and snacks to children. All 44 children in the camp are attending classes scheduled between 4.30 to 7 pm daily.
“I am surprised and happy to see the progress of the children. Only about 10 children who had opportunities to attend Anganwadis at the places where their parents migrated had some knowledge of alphabets and numbers. The rest of the children were truly illiterate. In a short span of about 25 days, they have improved a lot. I feel satisfied to see the enthusiasm of the children. I have also been denied formal education after completing class IV. Even today, I feel embarrassed and uncomfortable when I give messages in English or in situations where I am expected to be more knowledgeable. I always feel that no one should face the situation that I had, ”b. Chandrasekhar Acharya, group secretary told Hindu.
Ballari Additional Deputy Commissioner PS Manjunath, who inaugurated the MakeShift School, offered all possible help to the education of children, seeing the enthusiasm of learning in them.
Sanmarga corridor Balaga, which performs all its social service activities with donations from its members and well-wishers, most of whom are government officials working in Ballari district and beyond, who are ready to help even after having children. Moved from Ballari with his parents.
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