By Claudia Kruger | Fundraiser
Rohan*, 17, belongs to the nomadic Dombari tribe of dancers and athletes. They traditionally earned their living by performing on the streets. Rohan lives in Anthurnen Indapur block, a remote outskirt that is part of the big city of Pune. There, they are cut off from all basic utilities such as water, electricity, sewerage, toilets, as well as school and community services.
His father sells toys at fairs or works in road construction to support the family. With these unstable sources of income, his father has no choice but to involve Rohan and his younger brother in earning a living to increase the family income. Since this prevents them from attending school regularly, this becomes a cycle of poverty for generations.
Since Rohan's tribe was excluded from mainstream society for decades, a distinct culture developed within the tribe. The tribe also became more and more distant from the Marathi language spoken in the general community, making it difficult for Rohan to understand the Marathi language. Rohan lost his interest in education due to stigmatization and the language barrier. This directly affected Rohan's development in school. He frequently missed classes and received poor grades.
Nirman runs a support school in Rohan's district that provides two hours of teachings daily,
which is aligned with his school's curriculum and includes basic science, maths, language and general knowledge. The teacher of the support class gave Rohan additional lessons in language and other school subjects to motivate him to continue his education. Nirman's team visited Rohan's parents to counsel them. He was supported with a stipend of 4,000 rupees, textbooks and stationery.
Gradually, his language skills have improved with help of the support classes. Now he has already completed 10th grade and is currently attending 11th grade. This makes him one of the few in his tribe who have completed 10th grade and are continuing their schooling beyond that. Rohan became chairman in the Youth Council (Bal Panchayat) and attends every meeting.
*To protect the privacy we have changed the name.
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