A Silent Revolution - Helping the helpless

Shoshit Samadhan Kendra is operated by Shoshit Seva Sangh, an NGO formed with the objective of providing quality education to the children of the musahar(or “rat-eater”) community of Bihar. The musahars have lived in abysmal poverty for centuries, with a population estimated to be four to five million. Most of the musahars are landless labourers, and many even bonded labourers. The vast majority of them are caught in a debt-trap, finding it impossible to break out of the vicious cycle of poverty.

Attempting to turn the tide of history may seem like an impossible task, but the school is dedicated to empowering its students by providing them with quality education. Relying on the reservation system in institutions of higher learning, each of the students at the school is being prepared for higher studies with a view to making a quantum jump in life, leap-frogging from the lowest rungs of the socio-economic ladder, to become catalysts of change for their community.

This year’s class X Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) examination results have more than validated Shoshit Seva Sangh’s model of achieving transformative change through education. Of the 15 students, all being first generation learners, who appeared for the board examinations, eight received more than 90%, five received more than 80%, and the remaining two students received more than 75%.

With more than fifty per cent of its students scoring in excess of 90% in the CBSE examinations, Shoshit Samadhan Kendra, perhaps, has outperformed not only many government schools, but also many private schools in the country. All the students of SSK took the Board examinations in the English medium.

This exceptional outcome is a testament to the dedication of the teachers and staff at the school, the tireless efforts of the trustees of Shoshit Seva Sangh, and the support of countless donors and benefactors. Above all, it is the culmination of many hours of hard work on the part of the students themselves and a consequence of the faith reposed by their parents in Shoshit Seva Sangh.