Lighting the lamp of progress: Touching young lives

In the city of dreams, Mumbai, life runs faster than a local train. Quite often, ambitions, aspirations and the thirst for success makes everyone turn selfish in their quest for better life. Their lives are based on the same “model”: study, learn and earn. Yet, in the mad pursuit of happiness and success, there remain some young minds who pause to hold the hands of those behind them and nudge them forward. This is their story.

A group of young people from the Vivekananda Seva Mandal broke this self-centered “model” of living and charted a path that has brought about a change. The mandal was established with 15 students studying engineering under the inspiration of Sangh's brilliant volunteer, Vishnu Gajanan Devasthali and Professor Suresh Nakhare. In 1991, these students of engineering from Maharashtra’s Dombivali started a small library to help needy children. Taking a step forward, they also started teaching science and mathematics to children in government schools of Dombivali Municipal Corporation every Saturday and Sunday—a practice that continued for nearly 18 years. Gradually, this board of 40 young engineers—such as Ketan Bondre, Shailesh Nipunge, Vinod Deshpande, Ravindra Warang, Pragnesh Lodaya, Trupti Desai, Sayali Katkar, Sonal Bhavsar, Aniket Gandhi and Nandkumar Palkar--adopted Vihi, a village located in Shahpur taluka of Thane district, and dedicated themselves to the field of education, health and self-reliance.

Sunil Kulkarni (name changed), who lived with his parents and siblings in a small hutment, nurtured the dream of becoming an engineer someday. However, he neither had a place to read nor the financial ability to buy books. His dreams were soon given wings by the Mandal’s Gyan Mandir Library, where expensive books on engineering could be easily accessed without cost, and its reading rooms remained open from 7 am to 10 pm. In addition, the youth of the Mandal also supported Sunil in paying his fees. Today, he is employed with a reputed company like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) at an annual package of INR 22 lakhs. Sunil has also joined the Mandal’s board himself, thus returning the favour by helping and supporting other students as well.According to Ketan Bondre, President of the Vivekananda Seva Mandal and lifelong Swayamsevak, today the library, which started in a rented warehouse with just 30 books, has a study circle of nearly 100 students and comprises more than 8000 books. In these 22 years, more than 10 thousand engineers from Dombivli and surrounding areas have taken advantage of this library.

Coming back to Vihi, a forest-dwelling located in the Shahpur taluka of Thane district: this was one of the most backward villages in Maharashtra till about 20 years ago. Here, youth took charge to change the situation. Medical camps were established to improve healthcare, rainwater was harvested and three check dams were built with cooperation from the villagers. Besides this, farmers were given special training on organic farming to help them increase their income. To enable self-reliance among forest dwellers, self-help groups were formed to link them with vocational and employment opportunities.

As a result, having learnt the art of making traditional paste (ubatan) to be applied on Diwali, the villagers sold nearly 50 thousand packets last year in Dombivali. From the purchase of raw material to packaging, it was the women who led the work: the board only made them available in the market. This has also helped in creating awareness and promoting education. Today, many children of forest dwellers, such as Prakash Kavathe, Yashwant, Vrinda, Kaushalya, etc. are graduates and post-graduates, and gainfully employed.

The Mandal also provides SSC coaching to poor meritorious children for three consecutive years at a minimum fee. Sangh's swayamsevak Shailesh Nipunge, who left his job to live for a year in the village of Vihi, says that the Mandal has also helped the youth in choosing the right career by holding regular employment fairs.

It is said that in divine work, support comes from all fronts. When the BJP MP Dr. Vinay Sahasrabuddhe witnessed the work of the Mandal at Vihi, he was very impressed and adopted the village. With his invaluable support through the MP Fund, the Vihi village has been significantly developed and rejuvenated today.

Contact:-Ketan Bondre 

                     9833930032