Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh): They are all poor, destitute, and uneducated women. They are simple village folks who make a living by hard labour. But they yearned for carving a better future for their children, saved a little amount of money, piled bricks and built a wonderful school. They are educating thousands of people along with their children. To know about the success of those women, one has to go to Orvakal in the Kurnool district.
Until two decades ago, poverty was rampant in Orvakal area. The DWCRA (Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas) self-help groups have changed the lives of local women. They joined the DWCRA groups and started saving money. These SHGs were formed during the Chandrababu Nadu regime. Subsequently, these DWCRA women formed village associations and Mandal Samakhyas to pave a good path for their lives.
The DWCRA woman then focused on their children's future. Initially, a future school was established for child labourers and the system of child labour was eradicated in the area. Later Bala Bharti School was started. In 2006, to have a good building, seven acres of land were collected and the foundation stone was laid. Due to lack of money, the work was stopped for some time.
Also Read : Women's Day 2023: Women, feminist leadership can lead vulnerable communities to resilience, climate justice
All the women rallied together, collected funds, worked hard and constructed a magnificent building with around Rs 7 crore. It was completed in 2017 and started by the then-Chandrababu government. There are thousands of DWCRA savings societies in Orvakallu Mandal. A total of ten thousand women and their family members completed this building.
Nearly 7 hundred children are currently studying in this four-storied building. They are providing quality education in English medium on par with corporate schools. About 31 highly educated people are working as teachers. There are more than ten non-teaching staff. Children are studying here with very low fees. Free education is provided to orphans.
More than a hundred children have been given free admission at this DWCRA women's school. They have got 9 buses to bring and drop off children of over 27 villages in the area. The school is achieving 100% pass in class 10 every year. Even in games, these children are showing talent.
Recalling those days, Vijayalakshmi said, "we first established a child labour school, and we attained great success. Soon, we expanded our thoughts and built this Bala Bharathi School. I feel immensely proud to be a part of this school and it now looks like a university rather than a school. I strongly believe that this will be developed into a university in the upcoming days."
