Udaan----A girl's hostel by Sewa Bharti

In harsh lands, where hope seems dim, seeds awaken with strength within. Defying odds, they rise above and stand resilient against the flow.

With the death of her father, Sangeeta's tender heart lost her childhood, forcing her to pick up a sickle for survival. They were a family of three, a mother, a daughter, and a younger son. Along with her mother Kumari Singh, she toiled under the scorching sun for two square meals. Despite the struggle to survive, her mother dreamt of a good education for Sangeeta. Her dreams grew wings when Sangeeta got selected for Sewa Bharati's girl’s hostel at Ujjain. She was admitted in sixth grade with provision for free education, accommodation, and meals. Sangeeta's achievements justify the time and efforts of the hostel administration. She passed 12th grade with a Biology stream and obtained a degree in Nursing, providing a respectable life for her family.

Udaan's superintendent, Ms. Preeti Telang didi, who has been a full-time volunteer recalls the initial days of the hostel. She says that Udaan started functioning in 2007 with 36 girls, many of whom presently occupy good positions in the Government. So far, 240 girls have passed out from here and embarked on a journey towards new dreams of life. Their dreams are coming true. We can witness the fulfillment of their dreams as they walk through pastures of success. Now they adorn hats of proud teachers, engineers, officers, A.N.M., G.N.M., Patwari, lecturers and many are skilled homemakers.

The women and girls of tribal areas of Ujjain are faced with fierce obstacles in their journey of life. Rightly observing their trials and tribulations, Mr. Ramendra, Kshetr Sangathan Mantri of Sewa Bharati, attributes their difficulties to a lack of education. Hence, the foundation of a dream was laid on land donated by the family of the Late Shree Dattatreya  Vishvanayakji and monetary support from the family of the Late Shree Jagmohan Singh. Eventually, a self-sufficient building for a hostel took shape and was soon ready to provide a path to a brighter future for many girls.

Prospective candidates are preferably selected from orphans, single-parent children, and children from economically backward families. Children are identified by different community members in consultation with local full-timers of Sangh. Together they identify needy candidates from ten adjacent towns. The chosen children are admitted in sixth grade.

The girl student, Maneesha Bamaniya who became the Postmaster of Bagli Tehsil, Devaas district, expresses the relevance and beauty of Udaan. As a meritorious member of the Udaan family, she never scored anything less than 90 percent in her classes. Overcoming family problems and hardships she brought pride to the institution. Similar is the story of Reena Mujalde. After completing 12th grade at the hostel, she went on to become an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Khandva University. Now she has four years of experience and is going strong.

Angooribala came in as an introvert. She kept to herself in a cocoon of silence. Udaan helped her find her voice amidst the symphony of life. She made her choice of pursuing higher education in Coimbatore. Her vibrant personality shows the way to everyone in the hostel. Shri Satish recalls the journey of timid, unsure, and lost girls. Destiny’s magic brought them to Udaan, thus rescuing the children from dark alleys of illiteracy and despair. Here their dreams soared, and their spirits ignited. Under the umbrella of Udaan, they embark on a journey towards new dreams of life. They stand tall, capable of embracing duties both as a worker and an administrator. They have risen from the darkness of illiteracy to partake in the responsibilities of hostel and life. They are the major contributors to the growth of the hostel. Every year they proudly bring accolades by scoring the highest marks in 'Lokmanya Tilak Vidyalaya', 'Shasakeeya Utkrushtata Vidyalaya', 'Shasakeeya Dusshera Maidan Vidyalaya'.

Four bright girls made their way into the proficiency list of meritorious students in the State. They were awarded ₹25,000 for the purchase of laptops by the State Government. When a girl's hard work led her to pass the NEET exam, the Government of Madhya Pradesh provided the full fees.

The campus of the hostel is fully equipped with essentials. There is a large sports field in the Hostel with the facilities for several sports. The girls enthusiastically participate in Kabaddi, Kho-kho, Baseball, Softball, Handball, Rope-malkhamb, and many more games. Competitions at different local, district, and state levels, witness the participation of girls from Udaan. In addition to the offering of various vocational courses like sewing, embroidery, cooking, music, bhajan-singing, painting, 'mehandi', computer languages, shampoo, and soap making; special attention is paid to personality development and social acumen of girls. Various festivals and events are organized to nurture social finesse. Inspirational personalities from diverse fields are invited to interact with them.

Several donors generously provide their services in different forms. Some groups of local contractors take care of the annual wear and tear of furniture and buildings. Skilled ladies come forward to share their knowledge, time, and 'know-how'. Many affluent ladies generously donate in the monetary form also.

Witnessing these activities, a profound impact is observed on the hearts and minds of the inmates of the hostel. This also arouses in them, the desire for the acquisition of the intrinsic value and utilizing it for the benefit of the society at large! A project about adolescent development by Sewa Bharati sees lots of volunteers from Udaan.

Former students visit the hostel to guide juniors. They guide them through their own lives to achieve something great and face challenges and then, triumphs! They encourage them to stand tall in hardships; they demonstrate the importance of hard work to steer through turbulent seas; instilling hope to strive for a meaningful life!!