Pardhi School

Educate to Motivate

Providing access to main stream education to a nomadic and discriminated Tribal group.

Pardhi, one of the oldest tribes in India has suffered a century of unjust criminalisation and discrimination resulting in severe poverty, human rights violations and displacement.

Pardhi - a term for “hunter” is a tribe with its roots going back hundreds of years from the hinterlands of the Central Indian Jungles. They were branded as a Criminal Tribe by the British, a rand that has wstayed on with them and become a synonym for the community. They were eventually denotified after Independence but that is all the relief they have ever got. Away from the forests, the Pardhis now live a life of increasing difficulty given their status as a criminal tribe, most villages drive them away and sometimes in very violent ways resulting in clashes and out-right demands for the Pardhis to never be allowed to enter. This has led to their marginalisation and social exclusion of the Pardhis.

Aher Vahegao was the home to 14 Pardhi families, surrounded by lush green fields of cotton, bajra, jowar, and sugarcane. In an attempt to oust the Pardhis, the villagers broke their utensils, charred their belongings, thrashed their people and burnt their houses down to ashes. The Pardhis had to relocate to the interior of the farmlands, cast away from the village. They live without water and electricity. Most of the children have no proper clothes to wear, some run around naked in harsh winters. Noor Khaas Bhosale, a resident of Aher Vahegaon, had to deal mental suffering by the hands of the local police who killed her husband in the pretext of a robbery in police custody. This is the harsh reality that the Pardhis face on a daily basis. No awareness and no education have driven the Pardhis to lead an improvised existence on the fringes of society, repeatedly being forced to move from one area to another. Travelling in small groups they carry with them essential items of daily needs along with it - cattle, goats, hens and plastic sheets on bamboo poles to make their temporary homes. No access to food security, water, healthcare the tribe was dangerously taking chances with malnutrition and diseases.

When Team PPT travelled across Maharashtra to examine and document Pardhi issues, they came to the conclusion that their lives would not improve by only monetary donations or provisions but only through access to main stream educaion, a voice in public policy making and confiedence to demand for rights.

In November 2017, Social worker Kudadas Kamble with the help of PPT started to fund an education center for the underprivileged Pardhi children. The ‘Adivasi Pardhi Sanskaar Kendra’ was founded with the ideology of empowering the Pardhis through education. The first steps towards leading a bettter life and demanding rights.

A Meeting was convened in the fields and it was decided to start the center as soon as possible, with a few bamboos, a shade, and cloth as walls. The first ever Education Center started amidst crowing chickens and curious faces.

The Pardhis and most of the community till date have had no access to proper education. Living in the fringes of civilisation and society for so long, they have lost touch to what kind of a life a globalised world (Even in rural areas) was living in. The Pardhi Education Center is a bridge between the tribal community and the main stream society they have been sidelined from. It is not only an attempt to rehabilitate, but also give them fundamental rights while also preserving their unique culture and traditions.

With this in view, the main aims of the center are:

Educate: To educate the children on current issues and languages like Marathi and English.
Nurture: To develop the personal awareness of the students by improving their clothing and hygiene levels.
Develop: To increase the confidence level of the students and improve the way they present themselves.
Rehabilitate: To rehabilitate the students to the normal society and accustom them to a regular way of living.

We are all that these kids have. The government is of no help. Before the school started, it was difficult to get them seated in a place for more than an hour. Now, a change is clearly visible in their personality and also in their appearance.
- Kududas Kamble / Social Worker

Currently PPT is sponsoring the education of 17 children at the center. The second batch was started in June 2018. As the lives of the students are closely linked to their family’s living conditions, another important motive of the school was to improve the life of the families and provide them an identity in the society.

The future plan for the center is to initiate a Gurukul like program to give the students a more practical learning. Create study groups and give extra tuitions to the students even after they have enrolled in proper schools. The first batch of students will be enrolled in the local government school from June 2018.

I used to play in the jungle and collect insects. I like coming to the school now and sitting there, it's more fun.
- Sonali Neva Bhosle, Student, Age - 7

The Education Center is soley supported and funded by the PPT. We would appreciate any kind of donations for more resources to be made available to the students and community. Apart from Education, future plans are to focus on community health, livelihood and technical education for the youth. Immense positive impact can be bought about in this underprivileged communiity if enough hands join together and support.

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The Pardhis

An Ancient forest tribe branded as criminals and shunned out of society. The Pardhis have endured centuries of discrimination and hardships.

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