Education set in cement in this Bathinda slum

A school set up near the Ambuja Cement plant for the children of labourers has helped them not only get acquainted with the three R’s of reading, writing and arithmetic, but also soared the self-esteem of their parents.

“I am proud of my daughter and will make all-out efforts to make her a professional and not a daily-wager like me,” says Jaiwanti, whose daughter Deepa is the only one from Bathinda district to clear the entrance exam for Jawaharlal Navodaya Vidyalaya for Class VIII and wants to become an engineer.

Jaiwanti lives with her family in a basti near the plant, where 60 other migrant families from Orissa stay. The school, set up under two sheds, provides education up to Class V, and the officials from the cement plant have taken services of volunteers to teach. In 2006-07, 14 students from the basti passed Class V examination and are now in Class VI in a nearby government school.

Mamta, a student, said, “Before joining this school, we used to roam around the whole day. But now, we all nurture a dream to do well in life.” The basti has formed an 11- member committee, headed by one of their senior residents, Champa, who coordinates between the settlement and the cement plant officials and the volunteers. The committee holds a meeting twice a month. Demanding that the school be extended to Class X, Champa said, “The school has made a big difference to the lives of children as well as their families.”

Wherewithal for studying, ranging from books to uniforms, are provided by the corporate house, which collects token money of Rs 10 from each student and deposits it with the committee. The committee uses the money on children’s extra-curricular activities.

Talking with The Indian Express, Pearl Tiwari, Assistant vice-president, Ambuja Cement Foundation, CSR Arm, said, “Every private company should be aware of its social responsibility.”