: It was a chance visit by Qatar-based engineering professional C.D. Sajith Kumar to his alma mater, Nair Service Society College of Engineering, Akathethara, near here, four years ago to attend a reunion of his batchmates that initiated a set of changes sweeping the adjacent Dalit colony, Kongappadam.
Though not far away from the hustle and bustle of Palakkad town, Kongappadam, with 230 people from 32 families, had remained extremely backward, especially in the case of education.
“Only three persons from the colony had attended high school in the last 60 years owing to discrimination and neglect. None completed school final. Nothing happened in the colony in the last two decades since I left the college and it remained frozen in a time warp,” recalls Sajith Kumar, who started an educational initiative using the facilities of a single room anganwadi.
The result has been overwhelming.
Sajith’s efforts brought many an educationist, teacher, and subject expert to Kongappadam. In a short span of three years, a dozen colony students passed school final with flying colours and joined higher education. Four are now preparing for medical and engineering entrance. “I am determined that at least one student from the colony should join the engineering course at the institution close to the hamlet. In a way, that would be a major step towards ensuring social justice,” said Sajith in an interaction with The Hindu .
Titled, Ente Kongappadam, the initiative has already won the appreciation of the government and socio-educational initiatives.
“What is remarkable is that the project is not just about running a tuition centre. It is aimed at boosting the morale of not just students, but their parents too. The entire colony has started thinking collectively about awakening. Even the elders are empowered through this programme to acquire their rights,” said tribal social activist Dhanya Raman.
An online educational portal targeting disconnected and disempowered children of all backward regions in Kerala has been initiated by Sajith with the active involvement of socio-cultural organisations.
The government has agreed to cooperate. It would focus mainly on Dalit and tribal areas apart from children of fish workers.
A chance visit by an engineering professional is changing the destiny of Dalit children at Kongappadam.
