It is that time of the year when children staying with our hostels are gearing for mid-term examinations!!

Bal-dost Bhumi mentoring 

our girls at Unnati Hostel.

Most of us would agree to the fact that the last thing a child would like to do is study or go to school!! And the children staying at all of our hostels are no exception either, if they could have a choice they would dance their way to success rather than study. Such intense is their love for dancing that given a choice they would wand to dance their way to college. As our bal-dosts \often say, “if we could play the music for the entire night, these children would dance all night!!” 

The children who stay with our hostels have either studied with the village government schools and the rule of not detaining the children until 8th grade and poor standard of education means these children lag behind even with the fundamentals, so what if they are in grade 7th!! Hence our bal-dosts are required to put in extra efforts to make them attain even the basic levels. Add to this their love for outdoors and dance, distractions when it comes to focusing on studies! The bal-dosts have been nurturing the habit of regular studying in these kids sometimes bribing them with some extra dance time to ensure they finish the mandatory homework. 

Our super hand working and dedicated bal-dosts have helped in kindling the love for learning amidst these kids. The sheer poverty these kids have lived through has never permitted them to  dream of a better and brighter tomorrow but the love and care of bal-dosts is opening up the world of dreams for our children, a world they have never been to until now but hopefully  a world they will  be frequenting much often now!! 

VSSMની હોસ્ટેલમાં ભણતી દીકરીઓ પરિક્ષાની તૈયારી કરતી.

એક બાળક તરીકે વિચારીએ તો ભણવું ક્યારેક જ ગમે મોટાભાગે જીવ તો રમવામાં જ હોય. અમારી વિચરતી જાતિઓના બાળકોને તો રમવાનું તો ગમે પણ રમવાય કરતાં પાછુ નાચવાનું ખુબ ગમે. અમારા બાલદોસ્તો કહે તેમ આપણા બાળકો જો આખી રાત મ્યુઝીક વાગેને તો આખી રાત થાક્યા વગર નાચે. આવા અમારા મસ્ત બાળકોને ભણતા જોવાનો આનંદ અનેરો છે.

ઘરેથી પહેલાં વહેલાં હોસ્ટેલ પર આવે ત્યારે તો વાંચતા કે લખતા કાંઈ આવડતું ના હોય. પણ તેમની વસાહત નજીકની સરકારી શાળામાં તેઓ ઉત્તરોતર આગળના ધોરણમાં જતા જાય એટલે ભણવા આવેલા સાતમાં ધોરણમાં ભણતા બાળકને વાંચતા ના આવડે તેવું મોટાભાગના કિસ્સામાં બને. 

આવા બાળકોને VSSMના બાલદોસ્તો ખૂબ મહેનત કરીને ભણાવે. ક્યારેક તો આટલું ભણી લેશો તો પછી સાથે નાચીશું તેવી લાલચ પણ આપે. પણ ધીમે ધીમે બધુ ગોઠવાતું જાય.

બસ આ બાળકોને અમારે સ્વપ્ન જોતા કરવાના છે. સ્વપ્ન જોશે તો  જીંદગી બદલાશે તેવો અમને ભરોષો છે. અમારા બાલદોસ્તો પણ આ બાળકોના આંખોમાં સ્વપ્નની કાજળ આંજતા થયા છે અને એટલે જ મહેનત કરીને ભણાવે છે. 

ઉન્નતી હોસ્ટેલની દીકરીઓને પરિક્ષાની તૈયારી કરવાતી બાલદોસ્ત ભૂમી

Children staying with VSSM operated Vatsalya hostel shine at the district level performing art competitions….

Dexterous skills  and performing arts - in the past these  were the two hallmark features that one would associate with the  nomadic communities.  Sadly, with the advent of modern means of entertainment and mechanised productions,  the value and demand for these skills and arts have almost disappeared. There is no doubt that the skill these communities possess are priceless  and such arts and crafts need to be nurtured and promoted. 

Pravin and Vijay with their certificates of appreciation...

VSSM has been striving to preserve this precious inheritance. We have tried to give a contemporary touch to  the Bhavai theatre form, train and equip the artists with better musical instruments, regularly host their performances and much more. While the efforts in the direction continue it is also important that the current generation of these communities remain in-tune with their glorious legacy. 

Thus, while they are staying with us in VSSM operated hostels we try to encourage them into musical performance during the prayer  time and other celebrations in the hostels. The hostels prove to be their learning grounds. 

Recently, during the  Kala Utsav event organised by the  State Government of  Gujarat , two students staying with the VSSM managed and Aarti Foundation supported Vatsalya Hostel performed exceptionally well at the Ahmedabad district level and won laurels for their school. Master Pravin Palali won stood first in the ‘child-poet’ category while Master Vijay Nat bagged the first price in Dholak performance. The received certificates and cash price each. 

Such instances help in bringing back the confidence in the kids as well as strengthens our belief that we are on the right path. A special thank you  to our  Bal-Dosts Valji and Hairkishan for working tirelessly with these children and mentoring them with so much of love and care!!!

VSSM સંચાલીત હોસ્ટેલમાં ભણતા વિચરતી જાતિના વિદ્યાર્થીઓ જિલ્લાકક્ષાની સ્પર્ધામાં ઝળક્યા

વિચરતી જાતિનો અદભૂત કલાવારસો હતો. એક સમય હતો જ્યારે તેમની કલાની ચોતરફ બોલબાલા હતી. તે પછી નટના ખેલ હોય કે ભવાયાની ભવાઈ. પણ સમાજ વિકાસ થયો તેમાં આ સમુદાયોની પરંપરાગત કલાઓ પણ વિસરાતી ગઈ. VSSM આ સમુદાયોની પરંપરાગત કલાઓને નવા સ્વરૃપમાં લોકો સમક્ષ મુકવાનું કરવા ધારે છે પણ આ ઘણી મહેનત માંગતું કામ સાથે આર્થિક રીતે પણ ખાસા એવા ખર્ચે થનારું કામ છે. પણ તે કરવાનું છે એ નક્કી.

ત્યાં સુધી આ સમુદાયની જે પઢી આપણી પાસે રહીને ભણી રહી છે તે તેમની ગાયન અને વાદન શૈલીમાં આગળ એવા પ્રયત્નો VSSM દ્વારા થઈ રહ્યા છે. 

VSSM સંચાલિત અને આરતી ફાઉન્ડેશન તેમજ સમાજના સહયોગથી ચાલતી વાત્સલ્ય હોસ્ટેલમાં ભણતા બાળકો નિયમિત સાંજે પ્રાર્થનામાં પોતાને ગમતા ભજનો ઢોલક, ખંજરી જેવા વાદ્યો વગાડીને ગાય છે. આ તેમની પ્રયોગશાળા છે.

રાજ્ય સરકાર દ્વારા આયોજીત કલાઉત્સવમાં અમદાવાદ જિલ્લામાં વાત્સલ્ય હોસ્ટેલમાં ભણતા બાળકોમાંથી પ્રવિણ પલાણીનો બાળકવી તરીકે તેમજ વિજય નટનો ઢોલક વાદનમાં પ્રથમ નંબર આવ્યો. બંને બાળકોનું જિલ્લા કક્ષાની આ સ્પર્ધામાં સન્માન થયું અને રોકડ ઈનામ પણ આપવામાં આવ્યા.

વિચરતી જાતિની ભાવી પેઢી તેમની પરંપરાગત આવડતોને આગળ ધપાવે તેવી ઈચ્છાને ઉપરોક્ત બંને વિદ્યાર્થીઓએ અનુમોદન આપ્યું. બંને વિદ્યાર્થીઓને તેમના ભાવી માટે ખુબ શુભેચ્છા અને તેમની પાછળ મહેનત કરવાવાળા બાલદોસ્ત વાલજી, હરકીશનને થેક્યુ...

ફોટોમાં પ્રવિણ અને વિજય પોતાને મળેલા પ્રમાણપત્રો સાથે..

Roti Making – A Machine or an useful tool to satisfy our little wonders’ tummy

Children enjoying food at dining area

“Chalo ji Roti Khane” usually this is how our mothers or even we ask our family, friends, relatives to join us for food.

Roti is considered a complete meal. Every Indian meal is served with roti & rice as staple food. In rural India towards the Northern regions rotis or bhakris made of wheat, bajara or jowar are included in all the three times meal. 

VSSM’s Vatsalya Hostel Nomadic Children are from farther most regions of North Gujarat, they have been grown until now with the habitat of having rotis in their all meals. Unlike us or our town side kids, they have choices to make from the variety of cuisine served in breakfast, lunch, dinner.

Our tiny toes had wandered till now, asking for rotis door to door, lets make these rotis a unlimited joy, they cheer while going to school, fulfils them in lunch when they return from school & satisfies their hunger in dinner.

Roti making machine donated by Mahesh & Maheshwari
Desai Foundation INC. in memory of their late
mother Smt. Nirmalaben Desai

Initially we could not measure the quantity of wheat flour may require per meal, cooks in our hostel were gruelling for making rotis sufficient for 300 + children. These children have a very robust appetite. Most of them have never experienced so much food security. They do not like anything else other than roti and bhakhari. Every meal required making rotis from 70 kg flour just for 180 children. In just 2 months 6 cooks left the job here. Since the kids did not like aloo-poha, upma or anything else, the cooks were required to get up at 3.45 in the morning and begin with marathon roti making sessions. 

Expecting the children to help with these tasks is also inappropriate as they have morning school and need to leave the campus by 6.45 in the morning. These tiring 3 sessions had gradually made cooks to run away. Roti Making machine was the sole tool to minimise the endless efforts and improve the efficiency of cooks. Hence we decided to invest in a machine that rolls and roasts the rotis. This way we have reduced our manpower dependency for rolling rotis as it was the single most challenging task for the cooks.

Today it is like wonder in the kitchen, the first day trial of machine was memorable to our children, their excitement &  pleasure watching these round rotis automatically swifting from the pitballs and turning hot puffed ready to eat in seconds!!

Our dining area now whilst with stories, laughter and satisfaction. Thanks to our valuable donor Mahesh & Maheshwari Desai Foundation INC. they donated the machine in profound memory of their late mother Smt. Nirmalaben Desai. We are grateful to Dr. Maheshji to understand our requirement and helped us in atomizing the structure. 

Our dinning place is must see place in our hostel, the grown up children now act as volunteers, before entering everybody has to remove shoes, everyone must sit on the floor as equals, so all people are on the same level and nobody is ‘above’ anyone else, prayers are performed before they start, plates spoons & bowls are served & then the food is served, volunteers makes sure that children don’t waste food & after they finish they walk in que & after dining, plates and utensils are handed to washing area, they are washed in large communal areas and plates are then stacked for the next round of meal.

Roti Making Machine donated by Mahesh & Maheshwari Desai Foundation INC. in memory of their late mother Smt. Nirmalaben Desai

School Uniform – A Discipline A Unity & Identity developed by VSSM amongst the Nomadic children at Vatsalya Hostel.

Students going to N.V.Patel Scho

Uniform - it signifies a standard set of clothing by a small or large group of members. For our large group - our Vatsalya Hostel children, definition of uniform when asked about was something worth sharing .. our little Jigar says “ I like the new clothes, first time a tailor has stitched my clothes”, Neha with her twinkling eyes says “ didi have you put fragrance in these clothes I have never smelt freshly ironed clothes”, 

These little wonders until now were wearing mismatch clothes, used clothes, either larger size or sometimes skin-tight, majorly torn. When we ordered tailor made Uniforms they were delighted to wear those new clothes, properly ironed, according to their sizes. Must say that Uniform has brought a self-dignity and respect amongst them.

Pros and Cons of School Uniforms : 

Going back into memories while we were students most us did not like the idea of wearing Uniform. We wanted to have the liberty to wear fashionable clothes. Have we ever thought that these Uniforms have significant impact on those children who have never been to schools. 

Students going to Municipal school Kanya Shala

These nomadic children were deprived of basic essentials leading to depressions, addictions, frustrations and negative social behaviour. Our challenge was to initially work on their EQ. Family bonding, values & ethics of life, are prime aspects of our teachings. 

Sometimes we struggle to make them understand the basic necessity of life, here we would like to share.. Earlier they had walked miles bare feet, now wearing slippers or chappals at school they tend to forget, many a times we have given them slippers, but their innocence or ignorance takes time to understand this is also a basic need.

Quick Identification: Our Vatsalya Hostel children have been enrolled in all premier educational institute of Ahmedabad. N.V. Patel Vidyala, Nutan Vidyalaya, Satyam Vidyalaya, Anand Vidyalaya & Kanya Shala 1 & 2 No.

Uniform helps us to quickly identify the school our children go to & according to their session (morning /afternoon) the hostel staff makes them ready.

Equality: Uniform gives them a sense a quality, that no matter from wherever they belong to in classroom they are at par with other students. This feeling has helped us to make them understand in every walk of like you are equal to other kids, even you have the ability to perform best in studies, sports and any co-curricular activities at schools. 

Discipline & Self Respect:  Our Hostel staff has set a best example of team work, they have grouped children age wise, school wise & volunteers daily check the uniforms are in proper manner, washed & ironed & also the personal hygiene is maintained.

Positive thoughts are written on notice board by our nomadic children, shlokas and mantras are enchanted in daily prayers, before going to school our hostel staff guide them how to maintain discipline in school, how to be friendly with other school mates, how to take care of their belongings.

These emotional comforts have created a bond between them, self-discipline and respect amongst themselves and with others.

Maintaining school uniforms: Earlier it was a big challenge and especially the white color shirts as uniform. The children aren’t accustomed carrying white clothes and the school has white frocks as uniform.  We have requested the school authorities to permit them wear denim and t-shirts which are easy to maintain and carry. 

School Uniform has developed and enhanced their capability to build uniformity & recognition of self -Identity.  

Bunk Beds - a need to accommodate more no. of children at VSSM’s hostel...

Nomadic children at our Vatsalya hostel

Sleeping accommodation needs to be suitably furnished and of sufficient size for the number, needs and ages of children accommodated, with appropriate design or pattern comfortable for all age groups of children.

The idea behind purchasing bunk beds for VSSM, Vatsalya hostel was to accommodate more number of nomadic children in small place.

Sleeping area size for girls hostel is apparently huge enough to accommodate all 73 girls. For Boys sleeping area, 12 rooms with 6 beds each are provided in each room along with there is a huge area at the ground floor to accommodate all remaining kids.

Size of each bunk bed is 2.5 x 6 ft.

No of Bunk Beds purchased are 100 – Two tier, cost of each bunk bed is Rs.5500/-.

Hostel accommodates more than 263 nomadic children..

Sleeping area, for both boys hostel & girls hostel is of adequate size and not overcrowded.

Beds are of sufficient size, stable and of sound construction, with mattresses of reasonable depth, clean and in good condition. Mattress are sufficiently warm in winter & separate bedsheets are given and alternately changed. Blankets are received from our beloved Donor Smt. Madhuben.

Bunk beds (beds fully one above the other, as distinct from cabin style beds with desk areas or storage beneath) and apparently does not lead to overcrowding of bedroom or studying space. Beds have adequate space around them for children to change comfortably, and sufficient headroom above them (particularly above bunk beds).

All kids have single bed and individual sleeping cubicles have a good air flow. There is adequate storage space either in or adjacent to sleeping areas for kids clothing and property. Kids can if they wish personalise an area with suitable posters and personal items. Staff, staff family and visitors’ sleeping accommodation is separate from children’s sleeping accommodation. Requests from children to change bed for good reasons are properly considered by hostel in charge.

Pattern of Bunk bed : We have selected a comfortable ladder style pattern of bunk bed, keeping in mind our children are from remote villages they are not used to such style of beds. Firstly they were excited of getting up onto the top bunk. Climbing ladder to reach their own bed was fun now. Earlier kids used to sit or stand on bed and challenge their physical capabilities with other mates or just flop back down while trampling over the other kid, they had quarrel for who will sleep below as there is no ladder.

Apart from the nuisance of a bathroom run in the night there is also the obvious hazard of falling out. Our hostel bunks have proper barrier or side bar and have not heard of any occasions when children in sound sleep have plummeted off.

Safety of children : Our hostel in charge always make a quick check of the slats underneath to ensure that they have not migrated off their tracks – and this will hopefully minimise the risk of a swift descent in the night or worst a severe squashing.

These children have inclination to jump on the beds, while top or bottom bunk there is always the potential to crack their head on the ceiling or the underside of the bed above, hostel in charge take cares that children should not face such injuries.

If given a choice kids always opt for the top bunk. As they experience peaceful sleep on the top. Children need good & sound sleep to ensure proper body and mind development and we at VSSM take care of this important aspect.

Commuting to school by Van & Bus , an requirement fulfilled by VSSM.

Unnati Girls Hostel children going to school & Van
at the doorstep

VSSM’s Unnati  Girls Hostel : The 40 girls staying in Unnati Hostel are ferried to school in a private van. The distanceis not far but the city traffic is going bad to worse and it isn’t safe for small kids to walk that distance. Hence to address this issue we have arranged vans to help us ferry nomadic children to their schools.

Previously the students used to reach school by auto rickshaws or hired vehicles, as these arrangements were time consuming & to arrange more no of private wheelers at same time was challenging, these arrangements were also costly compared to the current arrangement. Now children commute by Vans, though they are private but the school timings are maintained. It costs Rs.300/- per child per month.

Vatsalya Hostel children going to school 

VSSM’s Vatsalya Hostel :  Managing the transport of 275 children of Vatsalaya Hostel to 5 different schools has been quite a challenge. The distance is more, the early morning traffic in the city near Naroda (north side of Ahmedabad) is worse due to factories & industries exist here. While it’s not safe for small children to walk that distance. Hence, to address this issue we have purchased a School Bus SML ISUZU 50+ Seater. The Purchase Cost of Bus is 14,51,000/-. It’s  being supplied on a very concessional price, below their ex-showroom price through one of our well-wisher Shri. Kiritbhai Shah. It gives immense pleasure to share with you that CIMS Hospital,Ahmedabad, has sponsored rupees 9 Lacs under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), for this generous cause. VSSM has contributed the balance amount of Rs. 5,51,000/-, for the purchase of bus.

We favoured the decision to buy our own school bus the reason being plying kids to/fro hostel and other multipurpose use including that of an education trip to enhance outlook of these nomadic children.
Our objectives behind buying school bus & the procedures our children & staff observe are as :

1. Prescribed information of children their respective school, individual timing to & fro are maintained by the bus driver & bus attendant.
2. Bus service is for N.V. Patel Vidyala, Nutan Vidyalaya, Satyam Vidyalaya, Anand Vidyalaya & Kanya Shala 1 & 2 No. Our children study in these five different schools, according to their standards.
3. Using the school vehicle is an opportunity for the pupils to cultivate good habits like patience, forbearance, tolerance, sympathy, team spirit, cooperation and consideration for others.
4. Children maintain order and discipline in the school bus.
5. Drivers and bus attendees are empowered to report complaints to the Hostel incharge for any action of the pupil which does not befit a cultures personality.
6. Children behaviour is monitored while waiting for the bus, entering the bus only in single line, special consideration is to be given to girls and small children.
7. No choral, shouting or throwing articles out of the bus is allowed. Making comments on the pupil outside, arguing with them etc., will invite stringent disciplinary action.
8. Maintenance of Bus is monitored by Bus driver & attendant. And Log book is maintained for the same.
9. If any child is late for school, bus doesn’t wait they have to adhere to other students timings. Such left out kids are sent separately by hostel in charge.
10. School timings are maintained & children return to hostel happily and in good spirits.

Sharing some more of VSSM's bitter-sweet experiences

Kamlaben with her 3 sons when she
was at the VSSM office..

Kamalaben Gadaliyaa was at  VSSM’s  office to drop her sons Mangal and Kamlesh both of who had ran away without informing from the newly initiated Vatsalya hostel. “Ben, we have given them birth, but you are their true parent because you have cared to educate them. We Gadaliya are considered to be tough hearted people however it was with great difficulty and a heavy heart I chose to send my children to this hostel. Ahmedabad is quite far from Vakaner you see!! But my boys proved to be worthless, you cared for them like a mother and yet  they decide to run away from school without informing anyone. How much stress you much have undergone worrying about the whereabouts of my children. When Valjibhai called up to convey that the boys had not reached back to the hostel more than them I worried about was you, how would you have felt!! You must have thought that Kamla’s sons are useless. The moment they arrived in the settlement i beat them up..they simply don’t get it what will happen of them if they do not study..we have endured so much of pain because we never got to go to school. We want our children to study and have a better future, we work hard to ensure they remain in school and look at these boys they do not want to study. I have told them if they do not want to remain in school the have no place in the house so do not return back home..” a visibly upset  Kamlaben continued speaking and crying at the same time. 

Seeing her cry the atmosphere in the office turned a bit heavy but we were glad to see such commitment from a parent to educate her children. The sons while assuring not to repeat the mistake tried  comforting her. They even promised  me something like this will not happen again  and will focus on studies!  

Rakesh who happens to be the elder to Mangal and Kamlesh also wanted to join the hostel. “Ben, enrol me in the hostel as well I too want to study!!” he requested and his mother also joined him. We have decided to enrol him, let’s see how much he can study..

We are experiencing many such incidents everyday. Some parents come complaining some thanking but all are trying to give their future generation a better tomorrow. The families shave absolutely nothing to contribute hence VSSM has taken complete responsibility of their children by trying its best to educate them.  However though VSSM wouldn’t have succeed in taking such leaps without the support of our well-wishing  friends. Many-many of you have helped us provide food, stationary, clothes to  our 350 children. 

I am sure through our collective strength we shall be able to educate  not just 350 but 3000 children and provide the mothers like Kamlaben freedom from painful drudgery she has endured all her life…..

Thank you for standing by us….

વિચરતી જાતિના બાળકો માટે વી.એસ.એસ.એમ. દ્વારા શરૃ કરેલી હોસ્ટેલના ખાટા મીઠા અનુભવો

‘બેન અમે તો છોકરાંઓને જનમ જ આપ્યો છે પણ તમે તો એના ખરા મા-બાપ છો. અમારા ગાડલિયા મને કઠણ કાળજાની કે છે. છોકરાંઓને આમ વાંકાનેર થી છેક અમદાવાદ ભણવા મુક્યા છે તે. પણ મેય મારા કાળજા પર પથરો મુકીને તેમને મારાથી દૂર મુક્યા છે. પણ આ છોકરાંઓ કપાતર પાક્યા. વગર કીધે નિશાળમાંથી આમ ભાગી આવાય? મને છોકરાં કરતાંય વધારે તમારી ચિંતા થાતીતી. તમે એમને માવીતરની ઘોડે હાચવો અને છોકરાં આમ કીધા વગર ભાગી આવે તો તમને કેટલી ચીંતા રે. 

છોકરાં હોસ્ટેલમાં ના પુગ્યા એટલે વાલજી સાહેબનો ફોન આયો. મને તમારી જ ચિંતા હતી. તમને કેવું લાગશે આ કમલાના છોકરાં આવા કપાતર પાક્યા એમ થાતુ હશેને બેન. છોકરાં વસાહતમાં આયા એવા પેલા તો બે ધોલ મારીતી બેન. એને હમજ નહીં પડતી કે નહીં ભણે તો શું થાશે. અમે ગધા મજુરી કરીએ છીએને તોય બે ટંક ભેગા થાતા નથી. લાબાચા લઈને આખી દુનિયામાં ભટક્યા કરવાનું. આમના નસીબમાં આ બધુ ના આવે એટલે એમને ભણાવવા મેનત કરુ છુ તે આમને ભણવું નથી. પણ બેન મે હવે એમને કહી દીધુ છે કે, ભણવું ના હોય તો ઘરમાં તમારી માટે કોઈ જગ્યા જ નથી. એટલે ત્યાં તો આવતા જ નહીં.’

મંગળ, કમલેશને પાછા હોસ્ટેલમાં મુકવા આવેલા ગાડલિયા કમલાબેન અવીરત બોલ્યા જ કરતા હતા.

કમલાબેનની ભણતરની સમજણ જોઈને આનંદ થયો. બાળકોને પાછા મુકવા તેઓ આવ્યા અને ઉપરની વાત કરતા છોકરાંઓની સામે જ રડી પડ્યા. ઘડીક તો વાતાવરણ ગમગીન થઈ ગયું. મંગળ અને નાના કમલેશે ‘મા હવે ભણીશું નહીં ભાગીએ પણ તુ રડમા’ એમ કહીને માને દીલાશો આપ્યો તો મને ‘હવે નહીં ભાગીએ અને ખુબ ભણીશું તેવું વચન આપ્યું.’

મંગળ અને કમલેશનો મોટોભાઈ રાકેશ જે ભણતો નથી. તેને ભણવું છે એટલે ‘હોસ્ટેલમાં મને રાખો બને મારે ભણવું છે’ તેવી વિનંતી સાથે કમલાબેન સાથે આવ્યો. અમે હાલ પુરતો એને રાખ્યો છે એને ભણાવશું. જોઈએ એ કેટલું કરી શકશે.

પણ આવા કાંઈ કેટલાય ખાટા મીઠા અનુભવો થઈ રહ્યા છે. કેટલાક વાલીઓ ફરિયાદ લઈને આવે તો કેટલાક કોઈ ફરિયાદ વગર ઉપકારભાવથી તેમની ભાવી પેઢી પોતે જે યાતના વેઠી રહ્યા છે તેવી યાતના ના વેઠે તે માટે બાળકોને ભણાવવા મથી રહી છે. તેમની આર્થિક સ્થિતિ સારી નથી એટલેvssm તેમની સંપૂર્ણ જવાબદારી લઈને તેમને ભણાવવા કોશીશ કરે છે.

આ બધુ સમાજના સહયોગ વગર શક્ય નથી. જે લોકો આ કામમાં મદદરૃપ થઈ રહ્યા છે તે તમામના અમે આભારી છીએ સાથે સાથે અનાજ, સ્ટેશનરી વગેરેની ૩૫૦ બાળકોની ઘણી મોટી જરૃરિયાતને પહોંચીવળવા ખુબ લોકો મદદમાં જોડાય તેવી અપેક્ષા રાખીએ છીએ.

એક વ્યક્તિ ધારે તો થોડું કરી શકે પણ આપણા જેવા હજારો લોકો ભેગા થશે તો 3૫૦ શું 3000 બાળકોને પણ આપણે ભણાવી શકીશું અને કમલાબેન જેવી હજારો માને તેમણે વેઠેલી વેદનામાંથી મુક્તિ અપાવી શકીશું.

સૌ સાથે જોડાય તેવી અભ્યર્થના સાથે....

ફોટોમાં કમલાબેન તેમના ત્રણે બાળકોને હોસ્ટેલમાં પરત મુકવા આવ્યાં તે વેળાની તસવીર