Dubhil Vechanbhai Movasiyabhai

Education & Children

A journey changed the course of Vechan Bhil's life.It all started with a bus ride when he gave 10 rupees to the conductor for an eight rupee ticket and then asked for balance. Seeing him the other tribals in the bus too demanded their balance. Vechan realized that to bring about a change one needs to raise one's voice. And education is critical for that. There is only one primary school in Pisstya village catering to 25 surrounding villages. The tribals in villages in the interiors found it impossible to send their kids to Pisstya. Vechan offered to share his modest two room house with the children of the tribals, providing them free food and tuition. There are three teachers in Vechan's primary school but there are days they don't turn up so he turns to the graduates in the nearby village to teach the kids. Vechan started his literacy mission with just 15 kids. Today 70 students from Vechan's home have graduated to the Secondary School. But at 55 this farmer in Vadodara is struggling to feed his students with just a small patch of farm - his only source of income. He also needs better teachers and a proper hostel for his kids.