Educating India

Madam,for these children,is Shobha Murthy,51,a resident of Vashi’s posh sector 17 area. Ask anyone in this lane where Madam Murthy teaches and they will take you right to her place. Murthy has been a regular here for the past 12 years,teaching children from the slums,helping them secure admission to schools and clear examinations. Her logic is simple — exploitation happens where there is a lack of education. And that is her reason for teaching these children — most of whom reside in the nearby shanties — English,mathematics and science.

Murthy could have had a secure job. “I am a chartered accountant by qualification. I started my career with Tata Electrics as an auditor and worked in the corporate sector for a long time. While working on an assignment in rural India,I realised that lack of education is hampering India’s progress. We will not be a superpower if the next lot of citizens is not literate. I decided to help eradicate illiteracy,” she says.

She had worked with an NGO for almost three years after leaving her corporate job. She had started her own NGO,Aarambh,in 1997. “There are many NGOs that work to eradicate poverty,work with HIV patients,cancer patients and others. They are all equally important. My calling,however,is to see underprivileged children get good education and secure high paying jobs. That is what will help eradicate poverty from this country.”

It was not easy,though. “I had to support the entire project from my pocket. I had to hire a room to teach these children and had to ensure that there were enough resources to sustain it. Apart from that,most parents did not want to send their children to study. Usually girls are not allowed to study,but even boys were not sent here. Parents felt these children could work and earn money. Children as young as 11 were being sent for work. I pleaded with parents to send their children to my classes,so that I could help them secure admission in a school and also give them free coaching classes.”

The local goons were the next hurdle. “Goons and anti-social elements felt this new thing was against them. When someone is educated,they will not indulge in petty crime. I was threatened at times by these people who wanted to use our facility to play cards,but I did not back down. My conscience was clear; I knew I was doing something good. I approached the police and they were helpful. They told me to be rest assured that nothing would happen,” she recalls.

From a humble 25 students in one centre in Turbhe,Murthy now has around six centres with over a thousand students. The students,aged 4 to 19,are all given pre-schooling first and then helped to secure admission in either a school or college. Some who had gone to schools and colleges with her help are now working part-time with her. Some from affluent sections of society who are pursuing MBA and even IITians also help Murthy in her efforts.

She reveals that an ex-student,the son of a construction worker,whom she helped secure admission in college and coached now works with a private bank and earns Rs 23,000 a month. There is,however,one thing that she wants to change. “Educated people should help educate others. What is the point in having knowledge if you do not want to share it? We must realise that what we do in terms of educating children is service for the nation.”

Subhash Hegde,19,a student of Murthy for the past decade,adds,“I know what education can do. I have seen it. Madam has been a blessing here. No one wants to be poor. Education is the way to achieving your dreams; there is no other shortcut. My dream is to be an engineer one day. I want to help my family meet all their needs. It is a dream but then,with Madam teaching and guiding us,the distant thought of me becoming an engineer seems all too real.” He looks down as tears well up in his eyes.