|
SOCIETY
A village that looks after orphans
Dampara
Village (Jharkhand): Residents of Dampara village,
located 90 km from Jamshedpur, are running a shelter
for around 40 children. The initiative that is setting
a unique example in community care for orphans, has
given orphaned and abandoned children hope for a bright
future. An underdeveloped village, Damparag's Munda,
Santhal and Karmakar tribals have gained a reputation
for their austerity and simplicity. Concepts like
social development or political awareness were unheard
of words here, until a local youngster Kantha Singh,
mobilised support for a collective effort for the
common good of the village. Kantha is educated and
owns a tiny garage on National Highway-33. Disappointed
with the State Government's non-supportive attitude
towards initiating progress in tribal-dominated Dampara
Village, Kantha generated public support to form the
Dampara Development Committee in February, 2007. The
Committee then established the orphanage, which today
shelters 38 tribal boys and girls. "These children
are from Dampara and other places in Jharkhand. They
are orphans living with relatives or working as child
labourers," Kantha Singh said. "I wanted to help them.
After the formation of our village committee, we thought
of establishing an orphanage for such children, and
it runs a public charity," he added.
The
school provides education up to Standard III. Kantha
Singh and a few others, go door to door to collect
rice, wheat, milk, clothes, money and other essentials.
Parimal Pani, a teacher at the orphanage, said: "He
(Kantha Singh) goes village to village and asks for
donations. And, with that donated material and money,
he supports the children's education, food, medicine
and other things." Daily chores like cooking, cleaning
or other related works are voluntarily taken care
of by village women. In a short span of five months,
other villages neighbouring Dampara have appreciated
the community spirit. Jaidev Das, a student, said:
"We get good food here. We are living very comfortably
in this place."
-Aug
1, 2007
Previous
File Current
File
|
