Eyes sparkling with the dreams of tomorrow, bright smiles spread on innocent faces and a series of chuckles you hear when you catch these little ones trying to get a glimpse of you. Children of Umarshevadi village (Akola district of Maharshtra), are like all other kids you could think of. They laugh, they play and they also study but not in the government school many other village children go to.
Situated in remote locality, residents of Umarshevadi have many challenges to face. The village is situated 8 kilometers from Hiwarkhed (Town place) of Telhara Block and approximately 28 kilometers from Akot. This is a tribal dominated area with Kondu, Gonda and Rathya tribes as the main inhabitants. They rely on farming which is the main occupation in this area and are entirely dependent on weather conditions.
Children in Umarshevadi face serious problem of schooling as there is no formal school setup in the village. Lack of public or private transport facility does not allow them to go to other villages to attend school. The nearest village is Zari Bazar which has Zila Parishad primary school and that too is about 3-4 kilometers from Umarshevadi. Umarshevadi is situated in the lap of Satpuda which is a famous forest region and refuge for several wild animals like bears, tigers and hyenas. In past, there have been cases of animals attacking children and now parents are reluctant to send their kids to the school in the neighbouring village.
MelJol, in collaboration with Save the Children India, began working with the children of Umarshevadi to overcome the barriers of learning environment. Since there is no formal school in the village, MelJol team started a special 'Rimzim' school, where children are taught by an education volunteer for 2 hours every day. This is a small room where children gather and study together in the evening hours from 5 pm to 7 pm. In the absence of both natural light and electricity in the evening, learning becomes more of a challenge than a fun activity.
Meet children from Rimzim school
Therefore, MelJol, has resolved to improve the condition of the classroom and convert it into a more colourful and vibrant place for the kids.
The idea has been inspired the resource rooms created by MelJol and Save the Children in the municipal schools of Mumbai.
As a first step, we have started an initiative to provide power saving lamps for Rimzim school so that children can make full use of the classes without facing any obstruction. These lamps are low cost, work on battery and consume less power that increases its usage time.
MelJol needs your support to achieve the aim. Your help can bring a change in the lives of these children. Education is one of the greatest investments for a child and a small act of kindness will help us fulfill this dream for the children of Umarshevadi.
If you wish to send us a donation, write to us at Dylan@meljol.net and we shall get back to you.
Tax benefit – 80G for Indian Taxpayers
We will send
•An e-mail confirming receipt of your payment
•A feedback report on the utilization of money
•A receipt for the amount you donated which can be used for availing tax benefits
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