Vikasana Bridge School – A Memoirby Sharan Asundi, Ph.D.

Auburn, AL

Spirit of VolunteerismThe true spirit of volunteerism lies in the realization that although every aspect of the volunteer

activity is her/his own, the outcome of the deed, good or bad, is free of karma. We often use

words like charity, social work and donations in the context of a selfless deed, yet we cannot

convince ourselves that a truly selfless deed exists. If it did, ironically, we’d all be machines and

mechanisms void of human emotions. So, can we really justify having the term charity in its

intended meaning or is it just another term for our responsibility towards the community? As

aptly said, “It takes a village to raise a child”, and its only fair that we be part of that village to

raise many more when its our turn. There are few associations, which bring about as much

contentment and fulfillment as associating oneself with innocent children. As an Asha for

Education (AfE) volunteer, I’ve experience utmost joy in associating with these children. I don’t

know if these children back home in my country, India, need me or not but I wouldn’t be the

same person without them. I need the Indian in me much more than my country needs me, and

my association with the children of Asha for Education fulfills this need. Over the years, I’ve

been associated with several AfE projects, made several site visits and enjoyed countless hours

involved in the activities of Asha for Education. One particular project called the Vikasana

Bridge School Project has been specially dear to me and I’ve made it a habit to visit the school

& the bountiful farm as often as possible.

Need and Purpose of Vikasana Bridge SchoolThe Vikasana bridge school, supported by the efforts of Asha for Education volunteers, is

located in Duglapur village (Tarikere Taluk, Chickamagalur District of Karnataka, India). The

project was initially supported by the Melbourne (Australia) chapter and then picked up by Asha

Seattle and Asha UFlorida in 2006. During the time, Asha UFlorida had the requisite volunteer

base to steward the project and Asha Seattle had the adequate funds to support the bridge

school activities. The arrangement between Asha Seattle and Asha UFlorida has worked

wonderfully and both chapters have strived diligently to make the project a great success and a

role model for self-sustenance. The need for a bridge school was realized by the Vikasana

organization to address the adverse effects of migratory employment of the daily-wage workers

on their children. Another related and a significantly more compelling rationale for starting a

bridge school was that many of the children in the region were forced into child labor and they

needed to be rehabilitated into mainstream education. What began as a noble purpose to

rehabilitate these underprivileged children has grown into an enterprise in its own right!

Children of Vikasana Bridge SchoolThe kids of Vikasana Bridge School have always fascinated & puzzled me at the same time.

The word “Asha”, which means hope in many Indian languages, imbibes in it the essence of

oneself. As an early volunteer of AfE, I was involved in all of the Asha UFlorida activities, which

would either result in raising awareness or funds for the cause of AfE. However, it was only

when I met with these children and saw the twinkle in their eyes that the true purpose of AfE

came to light. Asha (Hope) is what gives you the strength to be afloat when your whole world is

drowning around you; Asha (Hope) is what makes it right when everything around you is falling

apart; Asha (Hope) makes you believe in God.

Vikasana Bridge School, Duglapur (Karnataka, INDIA)

For many of the children of AfE, Asha (Hope) is everything. We may pride upon raising

thousands of dollars in support of these children but if we’re unable to convince ourselves that

we’re at the core, keeping the hope alive for these children then we ought to seek the truth in

our souls. I very well understand and acknowledge the need for book keeping and ensuring that

the funds are being utilized in accordance with the approved budget. As a project steward and a

volunteer, I’ve taken the time to review the budgets, discuss it at chapter meetings, request

audited reports from our project partner and go through the records of many of the children.

However, it’s always been far more important to seek the truth in the twinkling eyes of these

children than anything else. Through my interactions with the kids of Vikasana and other

projects, I’ve learned that it’s hard to teach children to lie. One of the most effective exercises to

monitor the progress of a project and ensure appropriate utilization of funds is to extensively

interact with the children when visiting an Asha project. For someone visiting an Asha project if

she/he can ease the kids by engaging them in group activities and then interact with them, a

valuable insight into the functioning of the project could come to light. Personally, I’ve

experienced this with not just the children of Vikasana but with kids in general. The children of

Vikasana bridge school are nurtured with a sense of reality and at the same time, pride.

Although, the children are aware of their less fortunate circumstances, they also emanate their

pride in associating with Vikasana & AfE. They are very aware that with the right education,

diligent effort and support from their “Sir”, Vikasana Director, they don’t need to settle for a less

fortunate future. The children at Vikasana bridge school are very much like any other kid and

surprisingly don’t feel underprivileged in their surroundings.

Activities of Vikasana Bridge SchoolThe family of Vikasana bridge school has gelled together and over the years, has participated in

a host of activities. The day-to-day routine of the children is similar to any other kid. Their

morning activities involve having a delicious hot breakfast, along with practicing a healthy &

hygienic routine of brushing, bathing, reciting prayers, and getting ready for school. The children

receive their mainstream education at the nearby government school. They go through classes

and play games during their time at school and enjoy a healthy mid-day meal. They head back

to their bridge school home in the evening and play around the farm. Every evening, the

teachers at the bridge school assist the children in doing their homework and ensure the

students are making progress with regards to their mainstream education. The children enjoy a

wholesome dinner prepared by the wonderful cook every evening/night and prepare to wind

down for the night. Apart from their day-to-day routine, the children participate in several

activities during the year. A yearly picnic, which is also planned as an education tour, is one of

the more entertaining activities of the year. A yearly cultural and sports competition is organized

by Vikasana, which is attended not just by the bridge school children of Vikasana but also by

students from several schools in the region. The children are treated to sweets and other

goodies, including toys, during festival time. The children enjoy a welcome break during the end

of December and also during the months of April & May. As part of the organization, the children

get to spend quality time with the visitors as well. Among the folks who have visited the bridge

schools of Vikasana, there have been Asha volunteers, an intern from Texas University, folks

from Germany’s KKS Foundation, local enthusiasts and many more. The bridge school kids

have wholesomely enjoyed their time with these visitors and it has been proudly displayed in

their bridge school home.

Organic Farming InitiativeThe vision of Asha for Education is to bring about a socio-economic change through education

of underprivileged children. This vision is largely reliant on self-sustainability of the projects

supported by AfE. Although ironic, the volunteers & patrons of AfE prefer that AfE didn’t exist.

To elaborate, most AfE chapters support the educational, nutritional and healthcare needs of

underprivileged children in India, which is really a symptom. More often than not, the ability to

address the cause of this symptom is beyond the scope of AfE. The fellowship program, which

supports the livelihood of credible grass-root level works, is probably the closest effort to

addressing the cause directly. However, many chapters and projects have attempted to self

sustain the efforts of addressing the symptoms and the organic farming project of Vikasana

organization, which is one such initiative, has been truly commendable. The project director,

who is well versed in the practice of organic farming and is a recognized organic farming expert

in the region, has set up a farm in Duglapur with support from AfE’s Work an Hour (initiated in

2009-10) program. The proposed effort involved developing a piece of land into an organic

farm-cum-orchard and use the produce to support the nutritional & financial needs of the bridge

school. With local support and from WAH program, the project director was able to raise enough

funds to acquire about 3-4 acres of land, which is located adjacent to a beautiful lake. The

bridge school building is housed within the premises of this land. I’ve had the privilege of visiting

the organic farm several times and progress made in just the past 3-4 years is truly

commendable. Unlike farm lands fed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides, organic farms are

self sustained and in the long run, involve limited maintenance. The small piece of land, which is

registered as an asset of Vikasana organization, is being used to grow vegetables and fruits.

The bridge school family has acquired cattle for dairy supply and the children have their share of

milk and other dairy products on a daily basis. Many of use who grow up in a city amid concrete

walls, skyscrapers, well mowed lawns, and well laid roads don’t understand the warmth of

nature. Growing up in an around an open field is unmistakably serene and its one aspect, which

makes the children of Vikasana bridge school “privileged” in comparison to many others.

Vikasana Organic Farm, Duglapur (Karnataka, INDIA)

Success StoriesOver the years, I’ve consistently interacted with the children of Vikasana bridge school and

made an attempt to monitor progress in the form of success stories of these children. It is quite

a challenge to keep a tab on all of the children who “graduate” out of Viksana bridge school but

the organization makes an earnest attempt to lookout for their beloved. The following two case

studies provide a perspective of the situation in the region and efforts of Vikasana to rehabilitate

these children.

Children of Vikasana Bridge School – Seetha & Venkatesh

Seetha, aged 9, is the daughter of Mr. Jhanu and Mrs. Shakuntala of Tarikere Taluk. For

sometime, both parents were able to support the livelihood of their 3 children through hard

labor, which earned them a very modest daily wage. When Seetha’s mother couldn’t keep up

with the hard labor due to acute back pain, the family fell apart, her father became addicted to

alcohol and in a short time, the children were on the streets looking for menial jobs just to avail

food. The children would wash clothes, clean vessels, and do other household work in the

neighborhood. Seetha being the eldest, burdened herself with the responsibility of taking care of

her younger siblings and in due time, stopped going to school. Things worsened when her

mother had to be hospitalized and her father wouldn’t do much about it. However, having heard

of Vikasana’s bridge school, he put her in care of the project director and disappeared. Today,

Seetha is happily living her life in the bridge school along with other boys & girls and is receiving

her mainstream education. Although, she is away from her father and mother, she has

embraced the bridge school environment and is performing very well, both academically and in

her day-to-day activities.

Venkatesh, aged 8, is the son of Mr. Mohan and Mrs. Rani of Tarikere taluk. Both parents are

migratory workers and earn their daily wages by going from one plantation to another for

harvesting areca nuts. Added to that, Mr. Mohan is an alcoholic and would often quarrel with his

wife on petty issues. Although, their two children managed to attend school during their early

days, life took a bitter turn when their mother passed away from tuberculosis. Due to the

negligence of their father and his careless attitude, the children would skip school and spend

their time playing on the streets. Mr. Mohan’s sister and Venkatesh’s aunt was kind enough to

take care of Venkatesh’s elder brother, Jayanth. At this time, Vikasana folks stepped in and

admitted Venkatesh into their bridge school. Today, Venkatesh is enrolled in the nearby

government school and leads a happy life in the bridge school environment. Although away

from his father & brother, Venkatesh leads a happy life and is able to study and play with his

friends.

ConclusionAsha for Education may be reaching out to a small population of the underprivileged children in

India but is making a significant impact, nonetheless. The hope we strive to bring in the lives of

these underprivileged kids, motivates us to believe that socio-economic change is truly possible

through education. As Mahatma Gandhiji famously quoted, “Be the change you wish to see in

the world”, we have to believe and make an effort. I consider myself privileged to be able to pen

this down and it would be sinful to look the other way when someone needs me to nudge them

along.

The volunteers of Asha for Education Seattle chapter and UFlorida chapter have gained a great

deal by involving themselves in supporting the efforts of Vikasana organization. The volunteers

have overwhelmed the hearts of many children and made a positive difference in their lives. If

the effort put in by all the volunteers over the years could bring sanity in the life of just one kid

making her/him privileged, all our efforts would be worth it and we would have earned our way

into God’s heart!