RAJAL BAJANIYAA MOTIVATING A POSITIVE SHIFT IN RIGID MINDSETS….

Rajal Bajaniya : A Sponsored child by
Mitaben Thakkar

In Gujarat 40 of the 144 communities that feature in the State Government’s list of socially and educationally backward communities are from the Nomadic and De-notified Tribes. Based on our learning it can be said that children of 12 of these communities are first generation learners. Whereas in few other communities the educational scenario is so distressing that one can count the number of 10th standard pass children on finger tips. 14 of these NT and DNT communities are extremely marginalized and in need of special impetus for development

Rajal Bajaniyaa is an inspirational young girl from the Harij in Patan and belongs to one of the 14 extremely marginalised nomadic communities. Bajaniyaa is a fairly large and wide-spread community but survives under  primitive and regressive  social practices and ills. Illiteracy, unemployment, child marriages, ignorance are just few of the challenges these community reels under. Education is not seen as obligatory within this community while girl  child education is absolutely unheard of and  child marriages are a norm.  

Rajal’s father Mohanbhai earned his living as ear and nose piercer and  selling artificial jewellery in a glass box. During the times when VSSM had just began gathering  primary information on the nomads, Mohanbhai tried helping and supporting the organisation in the manner he could, most of the times spending his own money to support the organisation. He also spread the word on VSSM amongst his community. In 2008 when VSSM received money to form a team it asked Mohanbhai to be a part of the team. He readily joined the team accepting whatever little remuneration VSSM than offered. 

Once he began to get actively involved and absorbed the principles of VSSM he understood the importance of education and focused on sending his children to school. Rajal joined the Doliya Hostel when she was in grade 2. Mohanbhai dreams of educating Rajal all the way and make her a role model in their community. Rajan is sharp and good in her studies. Today she is a grade 7 student at Ahmedabad’s H. B. Kapadia School. Rajal’s exuberance and zeal to do better  is reflected in her all round development and her participation in various co-curricular activities. Watching her bloom into a confident young girl,  the members of her community are wanting to send their daughters to hostel as well. 

Recently when VSSM talked to its well-wisher’s about its child-sponsorship program Ahmedabad’s Mitaben Thakkar offered her committment  to sponsor  the complete educational expense of  Rajal until she wants to study. 

AS NOMADIC GIRL RAZIYA PATHAN AIMS FOR THE SKY...…..

Raziya Pathan : A sponsored child by Shri Sanjay
R. Shah Charitable Foundation

Raziya’s mother Heenaben hails from Saraniya community and  married into a muslim family. Hence it is Raziya Rafiqbhai Pathan.  Heenaben happens to be Rafiqbhai’s second wife. While Rafiqbhai stays with his first wife in the town of Vav Raziya and her two brothers say with their mother in the city of Palanpur. There is no bitterness between two families. Rafiqbhai runs a garage but sustaining two families on the limited income that he earns from a  motor garage has always been difficult. Heenaben has been left to single handedly raise her children by working as domestic help in Palanpur. She has always desired to educate all her children well, so inspite of staying in a shanty near a highway she ensures her kids  go to school by not thrusting  them to earn and support the family. She has always desired to see Raziya studies really well and gets to lead a better life. VSSM’s Shardaben has always stood by Heenaben. Thus last year when Raziya reached 4th standard she was brought to Ahmedabad where she is  enrolled in H. B. Kapadia School and stays with VSSM’s Unnati hostel. A calm, focused and studious Raziya has adjusted well to the hostel life and is doing good at the school too.

Raziya with her medal - a winning
child of school sports competition

A couple of months back in March 2016, a well-wishing friend of VSSM  took the girls of Unnati hostel for an exposure trip to Mumbai. All the girls flew to Mumbai, it was one jolly good trip for them, a life changing trip that offered them life time of experiences. It was for the first time the girls had experience of visiting such large large city, experienced flying and  travelling on a train.  But the experience of flying also ignited some aspirations for Raziya who  now aspires to be an Air hostess. This little bundle is so determined that she has also began inquiring further on  what will she have to study to become an air hostess!!! And she has began putting in her efforts to attain her dream to fly high!!

Shri. Sanjay R. Shah Charitable Foundation has taken up the responsibility to support Raziya's complete educational  expense.

VSSM also wishes Raziya lives her dream and is able to proudly take her mother and brothers for an airplane ride…….