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Ayoungman'scrusadetolightuparemoteOdishavillageRediff.comBusiness

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Rediff.comBusinessAyoungman'scrusadetolightuparemoteOdishavillage

Ayoungman'scrusadetolightuparemoteOdishavillage
Lastupdatedon:May15,201510:27IST

Againstallodds,theyounganddeterminedVarunSharmahastakenuptheresponsibilitytobringelectricity,
educationandempowermenttoaremotetribalvillageinOdisha,saysManuAB.

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Image:VarunSharmawithhisstudents.

agyanaaponokaaliaasibey?(Willyoucometomorrow?)

BanitaandDineshbaranxiouslyaskVarunSharmaasheleavesthesilentSuabavillagetuckedawayintherockyeastern
ghats.Literallycutofffromdevelopment,thesekidshaveneverseenalightedhouseintheirvillage,aproperschoolorany
basicfacilitythatchildrenoftheirageelsewheretakeforgranted,andrightlydeserve.
ApostgraduatestudentfromtheAzimPremjiUniversityinBangalore,Varunistosettolightuptheirlives.

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Image:Paththatleadstothevillage

FortheLangiaSauratribalsofthevillage,sofaruntouchedbyanydevelopmentprogrammeofthegovernment,electricity
throughsolarpanelsissettochangetheirlivesforever.
VarunhastakenabreakfromhispostgraduatecourseforayeartobepartoftheSBIYouthforIndiafellowshipprogramme.
SBIYouthforIndiaisa13monthprogrammethatgivesagoodopportunitytoyoungsterstoworkonruraldevelopment
projects.
Aspartofthefellowship,heoptedtoworkamongthepoortribalsinSuabavillageintheGajapatidistrictofOdisha.

Image:TheschoolinSuabavillageisinruins.

Oncethere,hejoinedhandswiththecommunitytoinitiatethereopeningoftheschool,bringingelectricityandgettingfunds
sanctionedforamotorableroad.

uabaisoneof8,749villagesinOdisha,wherepeopledonthaveaccesstoelectricity.Thevillagedoesnothaveafully
functionalschool,ahospitalorevenaroadconnectingthenearesttown.

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Aftersunset,everyoneinthevillageishuddledinsidetheirsmallthatchedhuts,childrengotosleepearlyandnothingmuch
canbedonetillthenextday.Therehavebeenmanyinstancesofdeathfromsnakebites.
Oldpeoplehavediedastheycannotbetakentothenearesthospitalwhichis55kilometresaway,inRayagada.
Thenearestpublichealthcentreiseightkilometresawaybutitremainsopenonlyforafewhoursinthemorning.

Sincethen,VarunhasbeenworkingtirelesslywiththeNGOGramVikasandcommunityleadersforthelastsixmonthsto
makeSuabaabetterplacetolivein.
ThefirstdayIwalkedupthesteeprockypathtoreachthedustyandimpoverishedvillageontopofthemountain,Icould
notbelievemyeyes.Wekeephearingaboutthebadstateofeducation,roadsandcreakyinfrastructureinvillagesbutto
actuallyseethesadplightofpeoplewasheartbreaking.WealllovetopreachbutneverliketodoanythingsubstantialsoI
decidedtomakeadifference,saysVarun.

Image:Therockypathwayleadingtothevillage.

Toreachthevillage,onehastoclimbupthesteepeightkilometrerockystretchfromthenearestvillage,Koinpur,whichisat
thefoothill.

fterdecadesofnegligence,thetribalhamletwith230membersincluding45children,finallyhasarayofhopeasVarun
Sharmaseffortsarebearingfruit.
ThesolarprojecttobringelectricitytoallthehouseholdswillcostRs500,000.WehavemanagedtoraiseRs80,000
throughcrowdfunding.Anagencyhasagreedtofundhalfthecost,thatisRs250,000.Wearelookingforwardtogarnering
morefundstomakethisprojectareality.SBIsCSRinitiativemayalsocontributetowardsthisgoodcause.Butwerequire

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goodfinancialsupporttogettheschoolrunningaswell,saysVarun,whoisoptimisticoftheprojectssuccess.

SchneiderElectrichasagreedtoarrangethesolarpanelsandmaterialstosetuptheelectrification,whileGramVikaswill
takecareoftheimplementationandmaintenanceaspects.
Ourideaistoprovidethreelightstoeachhouseinthevillage.Thiswillhelpwomenworkinthekitchenandchildrencan
studyatnightaswell,saysVarun.
Passionateaboutlanguages,thefirststepforVarunwastomasterthelanguageOdiya.Oncethecommunityrealisedthat
Varunwastheirsaviour,eachkidtookontheresponsibilityofteachinghimOdiya.Evenwhiletalkingtheycorrectedhim
whilehemadeanymistake.NowhehasevenmanagedtolearnwordsinSaura,thelocallanguage.

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Image:Apartoftheschoolbuilding.

Oncehelearntthelanguage,Varunstartedteachingthechildren.Likeanyotherchildren,theytooarefastlearnersand
keentolearn.Wehavetoimplementamultilinguallanguageframeworkinsuchvillagessothatthechildrenstartlearningin
theirmothertongue.Itseasierforchildrentolearnfastifthemediumofinstructionistheirmothertongue.Thereisnoscript
fortheSauralanguagebuttomakethechildrenunderstandtheteacherneedstobefluentinbothSauraandOdiya
languages.Itisimportanttocontextualisethecurriculumtoimbibetheinherentculture,Varunelaborates.

hevillagershadbeenstrugglinginvainforthelastfouryearstogettheschoolrunning.Afteradistricteducationofficer
orderedthatlocalscannotbeappointedasteachersintheirownvillage,theschoolstoppedfunctioning.Itisnotpracticalfor
anoutsidertocometothevillagewalking8kilometreseveryday.
Inthewholevillage,thereareonlyaveryfewwhocanreadorwrite.Someyoungsterswhohavemigratedtonearbytowns
toworkassecurityguardsdontevenknowsimpleaddition.Theycanbeeasilyexploitedbythepeoplewhoemploythem,
saysVarun.

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Afterseveralroundsofmeetingsatthevillagecommunitylevel,Varuntookontheinitiativeofmeetingthedistrictcollector
aswell.Ittookmonthsofpersuasionevenatthevillageleveltoconvincepeople,includingtheladysarpanch,tostand
togetherandworkforthecommunitysbenefit.
Weselectedfourwomenandtwomenfromthevillagetopresentthecaseinfrontofthecollectorandothersenior
governmentofficials.Wetookfourdaystopreparethemforthebigday.Theypresentedthefactsandstateofaffairssowell
thatthecollectorimmediatelysaidtheywilltakeactionandpassedguidelinestothedistricteducationofficerforrestarting
theschool,Varunsaid.

houghnoactionwastakentorenovatetheschool,ateacherwasappointedsostudentsarebackinschool.Theschool
issupposedtotakestudentsfromgradesonetoseven.
ThedilapidatedschoolbuildingisahauntingmemoryforVarun,whoisstrivinghardtogetthefundsallocatedtorenovateit
aswell.
ThefamilieswhodependonagricultureandhuntinghaveameagreincomeofaroundjustRs10001500permonth.

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Image:Theschoolbuildingisonthevergeofacollapse

Forthelastsixmonths,SuabahasbecomeVarunssecondhome.Initially,hefoundthetrektothevillagearduousandtiring
butseeingtheresponseofstudentswhomhetaughtthebasicsoflanguageandmaths,hewasoverwhelmed.
Everymorningagroupofstudentsusedtowaitformeatacertainpointonthemountain.Theirfaceswouldlightupseeing
meandwouldaccompanymetothevillage.Everyevening,theywouldcometillthatpointtosaygoodbye,recallsVarun
fondly.
Duringameetingoneevening,avillageraskedhimtosingasong.
Istartedsingingandeachoneofthemjoinedin.Usuallytheysleepby9pm.Butthatdaywewenttosleeponlyat2am.
Despitesuchaharshlife,itssomotivatingtoseehowhappytheyare.ThenextdayIwokeuphearingtheirlaughter,Varun
says.

ppositionfromparentswasasmallhurdlehehadtoface.Likeothers,hisparentstoowerescepticalabouthisworking
inavillage.
MyparentslikemanyofushaveamisconceptionthatNGOsdontworkwell.Butitsnottrue.Therearemanypeoplewho
areworkinghardintheseremotevillages.GramVikasisdoingagoodjobaswell,Varunpointsout.

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Emphasisingtheneedtohavegreatmentalstrength,Varunsaysonehastoforgetaboutfinancialsecuritytobesuccessful
inruraldevelopment."Allofuscanandmustcontributetowardssuchsocialinitiatives,evenifit'sasmallgesture,asitcan
makeabigdifferenceforthelessprivileged.Ifyoukeepworryingaboutbuyingahouseoracarorkeepthinkingabouta
stableincome,youcanonlylivelikeanyotherhumanbeingswholovetopreachaboutdoinggoodandendupdoing
nothing.IdontevenknowifIwillbeabletobuyacyclebutthesethingsdontmattertomeaslongasIcanbringevena
smallchangeinthelivesofpoorpeople,heexplains.
Askaboutfamilylifeandhelaughs,"Marriagedependsonhowunderstandingyourpartnerwillbeandhowwillingboth
partnerswillbeabletoadjustandlivewithalowincome,maybeshewillearnmorethanme.Itdepends."
AfterhecompleteshisMasters,Varunhasplanstoimprovethelivingconditionsoftribalcommunities,makeeducation
easilyaccessibleandmakethemselfreliantinbuildingstronger,vibrantandresourcefulcommunities.
IfyouwouldliketosupportVarunSharmasinitiativeoflightingupSaubavillageorsettinguptheschool,youcanwrite
tohimatvarun.sharma13@apu.edu.in.Youcanknowmoreabouthisworkhere.
IfyouwishtojointhemovementtobringaboutachangeinruralIndia,youcansendamailto
shuvajit@youthforindia.org
Photographs,courtesy:VarunSharma
ManuAB
Tags:VarunSharma,SBIYouthforIndia,Saura,Sauba,GramVikas

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