Devendra Dhurve, a 14-year-old first realized how great it feels to be an engineer when he participated in IIT-Indore’s Tech fest at Fluxus in 2019. The team from Mrida’s Narmada Valley Avishkar Lab won the Best Robot Design Award competing against college students from 18 engineering institutes in India. He and his team members were ecstatic with this win at the prestigious event. They had designed and developed a robotics project – Robot soccer that won the tech design competition organized by IIT Indore. It was an unforgettable experience and one that sparked Devendra’s interest in technology.
Devendra hails from a tribal family in the Mahakaushal region in Madhya Pradesh. His family belongs to the Gond tribe community, one of the predominant tribes in the Mahakaushal region. His parents work strenuously for their daily wage earnings. His mother juggles between work and home while caring for Devendra’s grandmother who is frail due to old age. Devendra is one of three brothers. His youngest brother is studying in class 5th while he studies in class 8th at the Riverside Natural School (RNS) started by Mrida Education and Welfare Society.
The children from tribal communities in India face critical challenges in seeking an education – language barriers, location of schools, low income of their family households, frequent migration of families, harsh climate to name a few. The economic condition of many tribal homes is such that they can barely make enough to buy sufficient food than worry about healthy food. Due to this most of the children from tribal families suffer from anaemia. A typical tribal family will engage their children in early employment too to supplement the household’s family income. Unlike these family norms, Devendra’s parents strongly believe in education and always encouraged their 3 children to study. Both of his parents have studied only till Class 2nd but are trying their level best to keep their kids at school.
Devendra had been a student at the Government Middle school in Phulsagar where Mrida had initiated the after-school technology program under the Narmada Valley Avishkar Labs in September 2018. Mrida’s program coordinators and science teachers Abhijeet & Satyajeet inspired Devendra immensely through the course of his studies. Even though the tech program in Phulsagar was discontinued due to lack of funding, 20 children from this Government school including Devendra, transferred to Mrida’s Riverside Natural School (RNS) to continue to learn robotics. That is how Devendra’s school journey started with Mrida.
Devendra is described by his teachers as a disciplined student. He studies regular subjects like Hindi, Mathematics, English, Science, and Social Science but takes a keen interest in the optional subject Robotics at RNS. His inclination and knack for robotics, coding, and mathematics are evident in the way he built the dragonfly helicopter model in the class. He has a natural tendency towards learning in subjects like aeromodelling. He is comfortable in operating computers and is proficient in MS Office. Like all teenagers, he enjoys gaming apps too. Though Hindi is an official language, the rural tribes of the Mandla region usually converse in Dravidian languages like Gondi or Bhilli. He is a bit weak in languages like Hindi and English but then he takes remedial classes after school to improve in it. He enjoys studying and makes sure to submit his classwork and homework well before time.
At Mrida, a holistic approach is followed to educate children in academics and to ensure their overall well-being. Thus, along with academics, a special emphasis is placed on sports, especially football. “Devendra did find football intimidating at the beginning but once he started playing, he picked it up with ease”, said Coach Khushal when asked about Devendra’s skills in football. “He enjoys the game and adheres to all the rules of the game and is gradually improving. Football sparked joy in Devendra and before we knew it, he was part of the school’s U13 team.” He respects teachers at the academy and follows their guidance diligently. A friendly chap who leads the way among his friends. Thanks to his tribal roots, he is considerate towards the environment and possesses good knowledge about the forest ecosystem.
Living in Mrida’s hostel, he is learning the importance of nourishment and takes good care of his health and hygiene. Something which in this post covid world is of utmost significance for all. When the lockdown was again announced in April 2021 in Mandla the school shut down to adhere to Madhya Pradesh government COVID-19 guidelines. All the school children were sent back home. Devendra returned to his family which survives on the daily earning of his father. With an extended lockdown in place, the household income of his family drastically suffered leaving the family at risk of a financial crisis. His father was dependent on the Karkade Kendra for his sustenance which was insufficient for a family of six with three boys of growing age. They lack primary necessities of the civilized world such as a toilet at home. His home environment is also not conducive to his progress in academics.
Mrida is in continuous touch with the children who still haven’t returned to school supporting them and their families with food kits when needed. Even now, the schools have not fully resumed but evening study classes have started so that the children remain in touch with studies.
Devendra concludes his experience of living in the hostel and his dream by saying, “I really like the Robotics subject. I miss home but I love staying at Mrida. I get to study, play football, do yoga and eat together with my friends. I want to become an Engineer.”He is aware of his parent’s sacrifices and says, “My parents are supportive, and they want me to study to become an Engineer”. Devendra is aware such a dream may seem a far stretched thought for a tribal kid like him from a rural region, which has been affected by Naxal violence in the near past, without any development opportunities. This can be a reality for many children from tribal communities if we come together to build resources that provide learning opportunities to children such as Devendra. Mrida’s intervention program in technology is doing that – teaching and encouraging the application of technology concepts to the children from tribal communities.
“There is only one purpose in the whole of life — education. Otherwise, what is the use of men and women, land and wealth?”- Swami Vivekananda.
Education and nourishment are the way forward for any nation to be possible. Contact us at in**@mr***.org to make a positive impact on such children’s lives. Let’s make this a reality for Devendra.
