Rashmi Bansal’s book I Have a Dream inspired Kajari Mitra regarding the impactful work done by NGOs. Mitra, who retired as a senior manager at the British Library in Pune, also drew inspiration from Gutsy Women by Hillary Clinton and her daughter Chelsea. Consequently, she launched her ‘after school’ programme for children living in a tribal basti in Lohegaon, Pune.
The tribal basti at Burma Shell Colony, Lohegaon, has approximately 5,000-6,000 daily wage labourers—some hail from the Lamani and Wadari tribes while others are stone cutters. Mitra, who stayed nearby, would often interact with some of the tribe members and often feel dejected at how backward these communities were. “It is like they live in another era,” she reflected and decided that change was possible. “We only need to work hard.”
With just a team of seven staff, Mitra (extreme right) convinced several friends to teach music and conduct scientific activities. (Express photo)
She set up the Bhagyashai Bhavishya Shiksha Foundation in April 2023 and started connecting with the parents of children in the basti who studied at Pune Municipal Corporation-run schools. “One out of five girls did not attend school and some who did pass Class 9 dropped out for various reasons. Along with some well-wishers, we rented a room in the Basti and encouraged children to attend some fun classes after school,” Mitra said.
With just a team of seven staff, Mitra convinced several friends to teach music and conduct scientific activities. “I teach English and we have a maths teacher. There are also special sessions where a scientist from TCS, 84-year-old Eskay, trains the kids on how to write their songs and rap. Shubro Jyoti Roy Chaudhari often gets his guitar and teaches music during the fun class in the room with a smart TV with WiFi connectivity,” Mitra said.
Close to 70 children are now enrolled in the after-school classes conducted free of cost. When Mitra spots some deserving students, she makes it a point to fund their higher studies. “What upsets me most is that some of the children have seen their mothers being harassed by their fathers, and more often than not, they have to leave their studies to support the family’s income. In several cases, we have been able to raise funds to help the young girls complete their education,” she said.
An example is Saniya, who cleared her Class 10 with distinction but did not have the funds for higher studies. The foundation supported her and she will soon join the Tech Mahindra SMART Academy.
“My father would often say kindness has to be passed on,” Mitra said, and not surprisingly, her journey started decades ago when she was determined to adopt a child.
“I was then with the British Library at Bhopal, and at that time, there were several reports about girls being abandoned in nursing homes. I was determined to adopt one,” she recalled. Eventually, she adopted a baby boy who had been left behind in a local nursing home and got legal custody. But her challenge had only just started.
Talking of her adoptive journey that began 30 years ago, she said, “Adoption was tough as there was no precedent in Bhopal. Patriarchy was the main issue. Also, there was no social worker there but I had a good senior lawyer and the judge gave me interim custody very quickly as the doctor testified that I had my own flat and a good job with a steady income. However, the actual adoption took a year. Then, BCL gave me just a month and a half of maternity leave. My bosses, the male ones, kept saying you will marry… have your own kids…, why adopt?” she revealed.
But the family made up in terms of support. “My dad initially panicked as other grandchildren in the family had my mom’s support but she had died by the time I got the baby. My sisters were very supportive… they knew how much I had loved and pampered their kids. My dad finally got some confidence after reading all the baby books that BCL had… He then applied logic to child rearing and was very close to my son… My son actually cried for him rather than me when I dropped him at the Babysitter in Canada for the first time,” Mitra said with a smile.
She had to relocate her father from Pune to Bhopal because visiting him every other month was not feasible. While she had a “gem of a nanny” for two years, the daycare centres in Bhopal did not meet her expectations. “We left for Canada when my son turned three,” she said, adding that it had always been her dream to replicate the support model for single mothers in Canada within the community she works with back in Pune.
When she is not teaching English or raising funds for girls interested in higher education, Mitra spends her time coordinating with artists for an art festival at the Basti. “These children are quite secluded, so our goal is to expose them to different aspects of the world through exhibitions, concerts, and plays,” Mitra explained.
Parents of the children also seek her advice on medical issues. “A victim of domestic violence had all her teeth knocked out, and we used our resources to get her a denture,” she said.
What is truly heartwarming about the voluntary efforts is seeing her meet with doctors and nurses at the hospital to inquire about an ailing child. As Manibai Rathore, 30, who is waiting in the pediatric emergency section of KEM Hospital, said, “My five-year-old son, Venkat, has been in and out of the hospital several times. Multiple tests are being recommended to reach a diagnosis. We are so confused, but at least we have Kajari madam with us.”
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