Jamshedpur, July 27: The fifth centre of Masti Ki Pathshala was inaugurated in the city on Saturday. Situated at Bagunhatu, this residential centre will cater to 100 girls at a time. This centre has been established in partnership with Cummins India, and is the next step by Tata Steel towards a Child Labour Free Jamshedpur.
The centre was dedicated to the children of Jamshedpur by Chanakya Chaudhary, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, in the presence of R Ravi Prasad, President, Tata Workers� Union, parents of children enrolled in this centre and officials from Cummins and Tata Steel.
Education is the most potent tool to overcome deprivation and open up a bright and positive future be it for an individual or for a community. Masti Ki Pathshala, founded in July 2016, is one such means to achieve this end. Fighting against the worst forms of child labour, getting children off the streets and into learning, Masti Ki Pathshala is a step towards a Child Labour Free Jamshedpur.
Speaking on the occasion, Chaudhary said, �Our goal is to leave no child unlettered in Jamshedpur, and through the five centres of Masti ki Pathshala, we are taking small but sure steps towards realising this. In the coming days, we look forward to a wider community participation in addressing core development issues in the city�.
Currently, there are four centres of Masti Ki Pathshala located at Tinplate, Pipla, Sarjamda and Rajnanagar. In the last two years, 186 children earlier engaged in agriculture, daily wage labour and brick-making, rag-picking, slag-picking and even begging have been mainstreamed into private schools including Kasidih High School, JUSCO Kadma, Tarapore Agrico, Tarapore Dhatkidih, Baridih Excellence, and government schools. Graduates from Masti Ki Pathshala have fared well in academic examinations. They have won laurels in sports, shown uncommon talent in arts, performed on stage, and won awards for discipline, good conduct and so on. In short, they proved their ability to excel, given the right opportunity.
This programme has received immense support from several teachers and principals who have opened their school doors for children as well as companies who have come forward in partnering Tata Steel in this endeavour.
