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For every cup of tea that he sold, he made sure half of the earnings went towards the education of a poor child. He started the Asha O Ashwasana school in 2000, specifically for this purpose. For his efforts, the Government of India conferred him with the coveted Padma Shri in 2019. Unfortunately, Prakash Rao passed away in 2021, leaving the reins to his daughter D Bhanupriya.
“My father was more than an inspiration for many people; he was their hope for their children’s bright future. Many challenges came his way, but he stood his ground. My father was brilliant, and wanted to become a doctor, but his circumstances never allowed him to, and he was realising his dreams through these children. While on his deathbed, he told me that I should not let the students or teachers suffer after his passing. He only thought about the school till his last breath. I promised him that I would pay the teachers full-salary and also take care of the children’s every need." - Bhanupriya reminisces
The biggest challenge in her father’s mission, according to Bhanupriya, is parents from slum communities themselves. “The parents, who are uneducated themselves, only saw their children as sources of income. One cannot blame them, because that is the pattern they have seen throughout their lives. They did not believe their children could do better with an education,” she notes. But today, things have changed. The same parents who complained about their children getting educated, are proud that their sons and daughters go to colleges today.
In the beginning, Prakash Rao ran the school from a two-room thatched house, with only four children. Today, there are more than 85 children studying at the school who come from local bastis, and are provided an A-class education along with mid-day meals and computer facilities. In addition to education, the school takes care of the nutritional needs of the children as well. This is because Prakash Rao knew the importance of health and well-being, as he had suffered hunger as a child.
“Many a time, my father used to survive only on two biscuits and water. He did not want any other child to go through that. His pain shaped him as a visionary and somebody many people look up to.” - Bhanupriya.
Today, this proud daughter has taken her father’s vision forward, and made Asha O Ashwasana a school that provides holistic education to children, encouraging them to realise their potential and pushing them to give their best. But this progress has come with its share of financial obstacles too - which they aspire to overcome with some much needed help.
“We want to provide better facilities for children, including boarding and higher education up to class 10. Now we only have them here till class 5 - which leads to children dropping out of school and being pushed into menial labour by their families. For this purpose, we will need your support. We need funds for getting new land, building an infrastructure for the school, which includes tables, chairs, etc. Additionally, operational costs of the school come up to INR 65,000 per month. As a community, we can get together and make sure that no child is deprived of the basic human right of education. Children are our future and we need to secure it for them.” - Bhanupriya.
Click here to contribute to Asha O Ashwasana and give these kids a secure future.
