Tag: working with ngo

Hari Das: a man with determination

On February 19, 2013

Here is another story of a beautiful soul, whom i met during my SUPA in the series of posts on “Beautiful People“.

HARI DAS

Hari Das is the son of Vijay Das, a farmer who lives in Chatra district and sometimes also doubles up as a worker in Kolkata, Hari Das is the eldest among all his siblings. But being the eldest in the house is not always beneficial, and Hari learnt it the hard way. He could not start his studies, until the youngest brother in his family started going to school. Even this couldn’t have happened if his endless crying paid no heed into his parent’s ears. And all of this just for the sake of getting admitted in school in order to study.

Hari kick-started his new life of learning something new, with eyes full of enthusiasm and a determination in his heart. After studying in primary school, there were doubts in his mind, as to how he would further continue his studies as it would be very difficult to be mobile now. But there was alittle ray of hope coming his way. While he was leaving, due to his headmasters’ efforts, he got a tricycle. But Alas!! He had to stop his studies for a year and could only resume it when he got admitted in a hostel in Pandepura. And then he completed his 10^th from there only.

Returning home after completing his 10^th, was again a setback for him as with various issues cropping up in his family, he had to take a gap of a year from his studies. But, God bless this young lad, who didn’t just sat back with disappointment, but started teaching. He took tuitions near his home and then after a year joined intermediate studies from whatever he could earn while teaching kids. Around the time, when he passed 12^th, he joined hands with Jharkhand Viklang Manch (JVM). After getting associated with JVM, not only he got benefited but also helped others. JVM brought about a whole lot of change into his life. It brought about a new sense of bonhomie for his disabled brother and sisters. His idea of being an important entity of society who is helpful to his own brethren was finally seeing the light of the day.

After coming to Jamshedpur for computer training in Indo-Danish Tool Room (IDTR), he strives to learn computer and would like to work in a metropolitan city someday. His learning here is not just limited to computer education but also learning from his peers too. He not only learns here but also teaches others too regarding unity. His belief in himself and the way he has shaped himself, is surely going to take him places.

KAVITA KUMARI- An unfinished poem…

By farooq

On February 3, 2013

In Others

In my series of Posts on some beautiful people I met during my SUPA journey. Here comes the second one. Story of an ambitious girl who aspires to become the “Son of her father”

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE…..

KAVITA KUMARI- An unfinished poem…

With ambitions of becoming the “Son of her father” and to fulfill her mission of self reliance, Kavita Kumari, has always displayed a smiling face even in the midst of various difficulties. Kavita is the daughter of Shri Ramji giri and is second daughter in a family of five daughters. Coming from Ithkhori in Chattra district, she was never interested in studies. Her interest area used to be in household work and tailoring. She never took her studies seriously, until her sisters showed faith in her determination of doing something for the family. With a prayer to excel always on her lips and with faith bestowed upon her by the family, she was determined to keep up to everyone’s expectation.

Her disability was never an issue for her during her schooling and she used to do almost everything like the normal kids around her. After completing her Intermediate examination, she also worked as a “Care Giver” under Jharkhand Siksha Pariyojna, where she was meant to teach 6 disabled children. In course of time, she even started a Tailoring centre, something that she loved doing herself. While using the tailoring machine, she felt as if using a computer and felt proud in the process too. Also, by doing these little works and supporting her family even though in a very limited way, she felt proud of meeting the expectations of her family. Something that she had always wanted to do was getting reflected in her father’s eyes when she used to talk with her. Her “becoming the son of her father” dream was slowly and steadily gaining shape.

In 2008, she began to be associated with Jharkhand Viklang Manch (JVM) and a lot of her work started post joining JVM. Not only she became more active and concerned regarding other disabled people, but also took measures to help them in every possible way she could. She used to locate different disabled, whether she knew them or not it didn’t mattered, and tell them about the various benefits that are there for them and would even help them to avail those too. She believes that by helping others, all of them will be together as a force and would strive towards success.

Not that her life has always been following the same upward path of success, but there has been downfalls too every now and then. Her eyes get all moist while she recalls one of her life’s incidents. She had decided to only marry someone if she loved a person. And she did loved one. But it was difficult for her to hear rejection just because of her disability. That No coming from a certain special someone made her feel different, different from other girls out there and it was all due to her disability. Even with her heart broken, she vowed to not let that hamper any off her activities. Getting to know about learning at Indo-Danish Tool Room (IDTR), was one of the happiest days of her life as she had always wanted to study outside her hometown.

She believes a person should take time for herself, only then others will help him. Her desire to help herself and others have taken her this far and is bound to achieve even more. Here at IDTR, she tries to teach others about self reliance and learn a lot from others too. She is determined to progress ahead in her life to finish what she has started, the mission be useful to her as well as others too. The journey to finish her Poem on a happy note has just begun.

Beautiful people- “Prakash kumar, the Gabbar singh..”

By farooq

On January 27, 2013

In Others

Something in me had always wanted to be associated with Social work and development, and when an opportunity came my way as part of SUPA (Socially Useful & Productive Activity), a college project; I was excited. Although I would be wrong to not say that spending some time home was also one of the reasons.

Red Cross society was my destination, and with whatever I knew about the work it does, I was pretty excited. But it all came down, when I went there to meet them to formally start the proceedings. The guy over there tells me, “do hajaar lagega aapka yahan karne ke lie apna project” Shocked to reply anything, I just listened onto his blabber on how he described the whole work that I have to do and even told me that I need to bring my own vehicle to go different places. And even looked me in disgust when I told him that I don’t have one. I just asked him, “Sir, ye sab to voluntary work hai, isme paise kyun?” and pat came the reply, “ye sab to aap apne swaarth ke lie kar rahe hain, voluntary kaise hua……” and then he again started with describing how “his work” for Red cross is voluntary and how mine is for my “swaarth”. I walked out after that, saying my obligatory dhanyawaad.

After 3 days of scanning most of Jamshedpur, I finally found my match and hence my SUPA began with Jharkhand Viklang Morcha(JVM) and which went quite great. Along the way, I met some very amazing people and just thought about giving some time to let the world know about them. I interviewed many people during the course, people with disabilities but the strong determination. Instead of me, teaching something to them, they taught a lot to me.

From this post onward, I’d be telling some of the stories that I could cover. Hope you enjoy reading.

Starting with Mr. Prakash kumar, the Gabbar singh…

Courage and determination can best describe this man named, Prakash Kumar, Son of Shri Manti Mahto, a farmer who lives in Dadi village which is around 5km away from block Simaria. Being a disabled makes you very helpless and if your own family does not support you then that helplessness grows. But for Prakash, even these problems couldn’t stop him from doing what he wanted, i.e, Studies. After realizing that only he can support himself when it comes to studies, post-2004, he even started working at a jewellery shop. But even with that he had to leave his studies for 2 years.

It was not that he never received any support from anyone. His friends were always supportive of him, no matter what. Difficulties arising out of transportation for attending classes were taken care of by his friends and even for purpose of studies, they were always there for him. Although same cannot be said about his family. One particular incident he describes sadly of is of a day just a day before filling his forms in a particular class. There was some construction work going on in his house and in order to bring in raw materials, money was kept. When Prakash asked for money, to be given for form, his father and brother refused. Although, he promised to pay them back out of his own money in a day or two, still they refused to part ways with the money. Such was his family’s attitude towards his studies that if he wouldn’t have pressed himself hard, he would just be sitting idle in his home.

But it is his sheer determination to prove everyone who thinks of him as someone who cannot do anything, is taking him forward. He has been the happiest when he gets good results in the exams that he appears, even with a lot of difficulty. It instills him with a sense of achievement when it comes to getting good results. His struggles has not only benefitted him, but also gave him the confidence to help out others in need too. he is not only a leader among the disables but also helps people get information regarding the various polices and schemes put forward by the government for them.

He has not only helped many get benefits out of government schemes like pensions, Indira aawas yojna, getting tricycles, etc but also strengthened Jharkhand Viklang Manch by working towards its goals of maintaining unity among the various disables. Even at Indo-Danish Tool Room (IDTR), he tries to be a leader of all the students and helps them accordingly too. Fondly called as the “Gabbar Singh” by his fellow students, this lad wants to sail high and is leaving no stone unturn.