By Susanne Traud-Dubois | Programme Manager
Nandini, Veer’s mother, recollects while talking to Nirman's staff, our local partner organisation: "Sometimes I could eat a full meal and sometimes I had to sleep with a hungry stomach. Veer's health is not good because he could not have enough food". It has a staggering impact on Veer's education. Although Veer has always been calm and quiet, he started skipping school.
Veer is studying in 2nd class. He resides in the Rajiv Gandhi Nagar neighborhood dominated by Pardhi community of Lasurne, Indapur, Pune District. He attends the Zilla Parishad Primary School.
Veer's father used to make alcoholic beverages for a living. He was caught and arrested by the police and is currently serving in jail. He was the only earning member of the family. Veer lives with his mother, and his mother did not find any work due to the stigma of crime associated with Pardhi communities. “The Criminal Tribes Act,” 1871, notified this community as criminal tribes. The notion of criminality percolated in the society like a wide-fire, misattributing all the people born in particular tribes as criminals. Social and economic marginalization and discrimination against these tribes was its ramification and continue to date. Villagers have not included them to work on their farms. Their migratory nature made it difficult for them to access government entitlements on housing, health, nutrition and livelihood as they do not possess documents like voter ID, ration card and health insurance. As a last resort to meet her family's needs, Veer's mother had to engage in begging in the village and fair. Veer accompanied his mother and often ran behind her to bring his mother back.
The Nirman Sanstha's distribution of nutritious and healthy essentials gave Veer and mother Nandini some time to breath freely. Veer was seen happily playing with his friends from the village. The school teacher reported that for the first time, Veer has been attending regular classes without skipping school.
Thank you for your support to enable children like Veer to study and play like all children should be able to.
By Susanne Traud-Dubois | Programme Manager
By Susanne Traud-Dubois | Programme Manager
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