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“These kids were the light of Papa’s life. Papa first noticed that the kids in the neighbourhood weren’t going to school, and their parents, who are uneducated themselves, only saw them as sources of income. One cannot blame them, because that is the pattern they had seen throughout their lives. So, they did not believe that their children could do better with an education.” - D Bhanupriya, Trustee Head, Asha O Ashwasana
D Prakash Rao was only six years old when he started working at his father’s tea stall. Raised in a slum, in abject poverty, he could not go to school nor get educated. He continued to be a tea-seller throughout his life, but with a twist - he made educating slum children his life’s mission.
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.
“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.” - Bhanupriya
In 2021, Prakash Rao was hospitalised after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Despite the critical state he was in, the school and the children were all he could think or talk about, and he often said that the students or teachers shouldn’t have to suffer in his absence. Unfortunately, he passed away shortly after, leaving the reins of the school to his daughter, D Bhanupriya.
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 (slums), and are provided A-class education with computer facilities. In addition to education, the school takes care of the nutritional needs of the children, as Prakash Rao always knew the importance of health and well-being having suffered hunger as a child.
“Many a times, 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, helping them realise their potential and giving them the push to do their best.
Although Prakash Rao was able to carry out his noble mission with much success, it wasn't without its fair share of challenges - the biggest being the parents of the children from the slum communities themselves. They didn’t care about their children’s educational growth or believe that their children would be benefited by education. But now, things have changed. The same parents who complained about their children getting educated, are proud that their sons and daughters go to colleges today.
“Right now, we have about 85 students at our school, some of whom are orphans, while some are mentally disturbed and even physically challenged. Still, we provide them admission in our school, because they don’t have access to facilities elsewhere.” - Bhanupriya
Presently, the school only provides education until class 5, which leads to children dropping out of school and being pushed into menial labour by their families. Bhanupriya’s current focus is to expand the school and improve the facilities available for these poor children, including boarding and higher education up to class 10. The lack of funds is what’s posing a hurdle in achieving their goal.
“Our mission is to educate each and every child and to teach them the moral values of life, so they can become good human beings. We’re planning to build another school in a different area of Cuttack, which will provide further education. 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. 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.
Charity No : 319201431163
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