ORDINARY FOR MANY CRUCIAL FOR FEW AN EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT!!

I am writing here about experience of an ordinary woman, a home maker living comfortably in a township with round the clock almost free power supply surrounded by area with regular power cuts. Her husband is a middle level manager in a Maharatna Company paying more than 5 lakhs rupees as incometax.She lives in an independent two storey 4 bed room house with a servant maid in outhouse. In one sentence it can be easily described that she is having everything any middle class woman can aspire in India. But one thing is missing. The township had no college that can prepare students for competitive exams like EAMCET. So she had to send her elder daughter, like many of the township parents to Hyderabad for Junior college. Then she was feeling depressed. At that time a friend of her Mrs. Indu Parmal, another township resident while leaving on her husband’s transfer advised her to work for an NGO. Then she joined an NGO Sai Seva Samithi free school as headmistress.  I am writing her experience there for the last five years. She is my wife, Mrs. Padmavathi. I am not writing to boast about her. Rather I am writing to show that an ordinary effort by a common person can make lot of difference to few people and to describe how skills of many women in our country are simply wasted. If it inspires even two three people, I feel it served its purpose.

Once a little boy went for a morning walk with his grandfather along a sea shore. The boy was busy collecting pebbles while he was walking. He noticed some jelly fishes came to the shore with the tides. The grandfather was throwing the jelly fish back into the water. After sometime he saw some more jelly fish on the shore and watched his grandfather throwing them back into the water. He asked his grandpa what difference does it make  because the jelly fish were repeatedly coming to the shore in spite of being thrown into the water. The grandfather smilingly answered that “throwing the jelly fish into the water doesn’t make any difference to us. But it makes a lot of difference to that jelly fish which is thrown into the water”.

I heard and read many such stories in the motivational classes attended during trainings and in personality development books. But I was skeptical about them because of analogies they make and assumptions of simplifications. After observing for five years unlike for minutes as in the story, I am beginning to accept the truth in it.

Coming back to the main story one day during 2008 my wife expressed her desire to work for a voluntary organization. As usual I took my own time. One day I saw a statement made by Mr. Ramesh Babu an employee of NTPC and committee member on Sai Seva Samithi NTPC-Ramagundam in a local newspaper.

Sai Seva Samithi is an NGO inaugurated in 1999 by Sri. K. Prakasa Rao, the then GM NTPC with 9 members for first aid and primary heath of poor and industrial labour with the money donated by NTPC Employees and a Yoga Society. The infrastructure support for the organization is provided by NTPC. NTPC Management and Deepthi Mahila Samithi are backbones and GMs and Presidents of Deepthi Mahila Samithi are regular visitors and grace almost all functions organized by Samithi. By 2008 it was already running TB centre with the help of AP TB Control Board, Urban Health Centre under AP Government Slum Project, Free school with mid day meal on all days and Annadanam for poor two days in a week and during festivals. Free school was started in 2003 and by 2008 there were 60 to 70 children with four teachers and one honorary teacher.

After reading the news item I contacted Mr. Ramesh Babu a known person over phone. He reacted enthusiastically and next day he was in our house requesting my wife to be the headmistress of the school. She put only one condition that only responsibility of school administration and teaching would be taken and not to involve her in financial and other Samithi activities. Immediately he agreed and next day she went to school. When she asked for auspicious day her father replied over phone that all days are fine for starting any good work.

Teaching ability is natural for her having acquired  from forefathers that include founding faculty of IIT Mumbai and a biomass scientist with lot of patents, Inspector of schools, teacher who taught many people in Pithapuram  samsthan and europeans and  a famous teacher in Kakinada for more than 30 years. She herself worked in DAV School Hyderabad for almost an year. Leadership qualities she acquired as a graduate from Andhra Mahila Sabha, situated in historic OU founded by renowned      Mrs. Durgabhai Deshmukh and during her BEd training from Satya Sai Institute of higher learning Anantapur run by world famous Satya Sai Organization under the direct guidance of Satya Sai himself. Her father is also instrumental in starting and running a high school for many years in his colony and is liked by people like Sri Samavedam Shanmukha Sarma. former DGP Sri Arvindarao and Prof. Pullela Sri Ramachandrudu in conducting philosophical and cultural meetings.  As she completed post graduation in English her English speaking skills are good. Yet I don’t consider any of the above qualities as extraordinary because many of such qualities and advantages are possessed by lot of people.

Children of the school are in the age group of 4 to 12. Most of them are children of oriya migrants residing in colony constructed by NTPC working as daily wage earners. They are innocent people and have lot of superstitions like black magic etc. Sending the children to school itself is a big task for them and regular attendance of the children is the big challenge let alone teaching them. So initially she concentrated on attendance and teachers were given responsibility to regularly bring them. Teachers were also residing in the come colony. Most of the children attend to school without eating any food. Within few days she had realized that what she started is nothing compared to the dedicated committee members who silently work. She was particularly amazed at the selfless service of three people connected to school. Mrs. Radhika, wife of Andhra Bank Manager, a graduate used to come regularly ,lovingly taking care of children and teaching whatever she can. Mr. KSN Raju ,an NTPC employee hard worker PM Shrambushan awardee working in a very important department is as dedicated to samithi work as to his official work. He breaks the scrap wood all by himself for using it in kitchen. He brings all the things needed for school. Dr. Sasmita Dash, a Gynecologist at NTPC Hospital inspite of her busy schedule was a regular visitor for Samiti Hospital treating patients. She was active committee member and always attends committee meetings and functions organized by Samithi and motivates  everybody.

Incidentally Padma tasted her first success in the school through biscuits and snacks.When she had told her Malayalee friend Mrs. Geetha about children attending without eating she immediately offered Rs. 1000 per month as a regular contribution by Kerala Chit members. This amount is being used from then on for feeding children snacks and biscuits in the morning.

Cleanliness and regular attendance are the next priorities after regular attendance. To create interest she started short teaching moral stories. Homework cannot be given to these children as there is nobody to help them at home. Systematic training of teaching skills to teachers is another thing she did. Time table was introduced even to this little school. Meanwhile NTPC constructed toilets through CSR programme. After seeing her interest NTPC officials and Deepthi Mahila Samithi incharges were asking her to tell the requirements and were always ready to fulfill.

All these resulted in small changes initially. Within three months when Madam Tresa Joseph the then President Deepthi Mahila Samithi who worked as a teacher in school for some years visited school one day, she is so impressed by the rhymes the children that she asked some more children to sing. She spent much more time than planned. She had organized a big picnic for the children and spent whole day with them. Food was arranged through ICH. It may be nothing for our children but for these children it is a dream come true. On the anniversary day in 2009 GM        Sri Thomas Joseph commented about two things that best describe the changes in one year. In his own words “I am regularly coming to the school for last 3,4 years. But of late I am seeing the children perfectly combing their hair. This is the first sign of change and will lead to many changes. I am wondering to know that ladies who gather for chit to have some good time can contribute to a noble cause. The idea is much more worth than contribution. If everybody reacts in same way it goes a long way in changing the society”. Sri Thomas Joseph and Madam Tresa Joseph gave constant encouragement and fulfilled all her wishes including expansion of school, construction of a shed etc.When madam was leaving the town tears came through her eyes as well as children during farewell.

Till 2011 school was running in Telugu Medium.As most of the children are from Oriya background the committee decided to change the medium to English. She could make the teachers to teach in English is a testimony of the efforts taken by her and the school applied for Government recognition. The inspecting authority showered all praise on school and its headmistress. Recognition was given in 2013 by DEO Karimnagar. NTPC business excellence audit team as part of audit on CSR visited the school. After seeing the school and its activities one of them immediately donated Rs. 5000 and both of them wished all NTPC stations to have NGO like Sai Seva Samithi.

Free meal scheme for school children is organized without any official support so meticulously that not a single rupee is wasted. The efforts of Sri Ramdas, Satyanarayana, Komuraiah, Raju and others  deserve lot of praise for this. Seeing this Collector of Karimnagar gave samithi  the responsibility for supplying food for the inpatients of Government Hospital. Changeover to English medium also increased the cost on books. Free meal scheme donation of school is preferred choice for many people for sponsoring during the birthdays of their children and other special occasions. Seeing the performance of the school many are donating voluntarily for the school. All this shows that there is no dearth of charity if trusted people and organizations are able to channelize them.

Enrollment for  the school reached above 110. Every year 5 to 10 children are sent to ZP school for higher studies. For  the last 5 years around 30 to 40 children were sent. School headmaster is saying that quality of  the children from samithi had gone up and many of them are leaders for their  respective classes. She brings answer sheets of the children to home sometimes. I am amazed to see the performance of some of the students. Some of them with proper support and encouragement can become very successful in their career. Two other voluntary teachers Mrs. Bharathi and Mrs. Niranjan Reddy joined the school in 2012.  Mrs. Bharathi is very good at teaching children small stories, training students for cultural events and craft activities. Meanwhile Sri. Y.V. Rao, took over as GM in March 2011. He alongwith his wife Smt. Padma Rao, are also regular visitors to the school and samithi. They are instrumental in constructing Kalyana Mandapam for Samithi which is given for hire for a token amount of Rs 500 a day.Later in December 2012 Sri Subhasis Ghosh took over as GM. He alongwith Smt. Soma Gosh provided lot of facilities for school in short span of time including constructions of grills to the verandah and air coolers for the schools to tide over the heat of Ramagundam.

                                              One day when CMO of NTPC Sri. JP Sachdev visited school Padma discussed the health of children and requested him to arrange for health checkup if possible.He was so generous and immediately accepted and for the last two years it was carried out and weak children were given treatment and advice.

Crucial difference it made to three children deserves special mention here. Gayathri aged around 9 years is a fatherless child. She is among two brothers and three sisters. The entire family is fed by her brother, a daily wage labourer at NTPC.  She was studying class 4 and so brilliant that from her answer papers nobody can even cut half a mark . Her handwriting is also excellent.One day Padma told about  the existence of such talent with Mrs. Padma Rao, President Deepthi Mahila Samithi. She immediately offered to pay the tuition fee on behalf of Mahila Samithi upto 10^th class if she is interested to study at any convent school. Padma went to Sachdeva School next day along with Sri. KSN Raju. Principal of Sachdeva School offered 50% fee concession for the child. Padma was ecstatic about it. She continued her success at Sachdeva School also and is top ranker there also. Seeing the success of Gayathri two more children Rajasagar and Sankar were admitted in  the next two years. Sachdeva Principal is putting them in a section where oriya teacher is available. Principal is very happy with them and asked Padma to send some more children. It may mean very little to all of us. But with the same facilities and environment available for any of the middle class children I am sure these children also can one day become bright engineers, doctors etc.

Teachers salaries went up by atleast 3 to 4 times. Two of the four teachers were given accommodation in school. But the biggest achievement is two teachers completed their graduation and one is in the process of completion. One even had Telugu Pandit training. Padma requested Matrumandir  Principal to provide training for the teachers. She was happy to oblige and all the teachers wer for their personal problems and she is a willing counsellor.With all these she created committed group of teachers who are always ready to contribute.

 Sai Seva Samithi was given Appreciation Letter for the activities by NTPC. An entire chapter was devoted to samithi in NTPC book compiled on its CSR activities by Sri PJ Mathews  GM Corporate HR and published by Tata McGrawhill. A special mention was made about Padma and school activities.

Padma was falicitated by Deepthi Mahila Samithi on the occasion of Teachers Day in 2011 for her contribution. An entire half page story was carried out an April 25^th this year by Eenadu local edition for the contribution of voluntary teachers with the title “Ideal Women and Donors of Education” .Sri Subhasis Gosh the present GM NTPC lauded the effort of school and declared that smiles on the faces of children bring lot of optimism about their future. Above all Padma gained a lot herself in the form of self satisfaction, sense of achievement and mental piece. At least two convent school teachers of St. Claire expressed their desire to work for the school.

I would like to conclude with an important event. Our elder daughter attended a job interview. She mentioned in her profile that her mother works as school headmistress at an NGO. They asked lot of questions about  NGO and her mother. Considerable time was spent on this subject. She was selected for the job. Bagawadgita says to carry out duty without an eye on the results. Results will follow. This is a perfect example of unexpected results that can follow.

Mrs. Rashmi Bansal in her author’s note of her popular book “I have a dream” writes about those who think and those who feel. Thinkers believe the world is a neat place with boundaries. Their boundary ends with their house, family, community and own welfare. They don’t feel for the problems of the others. But those who feel at least give something- compassion if not coin. She earnestly appeals for middle class to expand their thinking and start to feel for the suffering of others. In this lot of middle class women can do a lot who are graduates and post graduates by adopting one poor child and teaching them for at least one hour every day.It can make crucial difference to the child.