The Tribal Children’s Initiative
Last Thursday morning we left Fireflies on a little road trip within the state of Karnataka. It was incredible. It was life changing. It was WOW.
One bus; breakfast; another bus; five hours later, two guys came in motorcycles and took Shalini, Isabella, and I to our final destination, Blue Waters. We were so pumped. “Yeah! Motorcycles again!" Little did we know that would be our only mode of transportation through the rocky, muddy, and unpaved roads of the area. Not to mention three people to a bike for each trip. Oh yeah, riding Indian style!
That Thursday evening we headed off to the Children’s College ( The Tribal Children’s Initiative). This is a hostel for children from the adivasi tribal community, who would otherwise find it very difficult to attend school. Decades ago the adivasi were forced out of their homes, to the fringes of the forest, and into what I like to call a transitory state. They are out of the forest, which provided for all their needs, forced into modern society, but not quite a part of either. The majority are illiterate and do not have the skills to compete for labor, so they work on daily wages in coffee plantations. $2 to $3 a day are their earnings.
Since the parents migrate for labor, many times these boys who are considered old enough to work, go along and often spend the rest of their lives this way. They forfeit an education to earn enough money to feed their families. Some parents would prefer that their child go to school, but as was the case for one of these boys, Vinkadesh, they are afraid he would get stomped by elephants on the 8Â km journey there!
The children’s hostel is ran by Fireflies providing food, shelter and a learning environment for the 10 boys, ages 13 to 16, currently enrolled. It is not a school, but a permanent home while the kids attend school. As you walk in you see the walls lined with lists of various plant, vegetables, and fish names, among other things. The hostel serves as a bridge from their tribal roots to the very different society these kids are being exposed to. The goal is for them to become educated, meanwhile holding on to their cultural values and one day fighting for the rights of the adivasi.
These kids are incredible! They are so bright and kind. They are the hope for a people that do not have adequate representation. You spend a day with them and it changes your life!
http://pipaltree.org.in/index.php?page=the-children-s-college
