Ahead of the Destination Uttarakhand Investors Summit-2018, the students of PEN India Foundation-a school located in Sapera Basti (snake charmers’ dwelling)-have appealed to the industrialists to invest in the education sector in the State so that they are benefited. On Friday, the students organised a skit in their school during which they highlighted the vast opportunities Uttarakhand offers to the investors.
The patron of the foundation who is also a biotech scientist, Dr Prakash Keshaviah said that the overall development of the State would ensure increased prosperity which means a bright future for even the kids of very poor families.
The director of the school, Anoop Rawat said that the objective of the programme was to highlight Uttarakhand as an investment destination. “Ours is a school where children of the most deprived classes are studying.
We believe that increased investment would ensure general prosperity in the State which in turn would percolate down to the most downtrodden sections of the people.
In the programme, the children of the economically unprivileged families have made an emotional appeal to the entrepreneurs to invest in the education sector in the State so that they are benefited too. We hope that the appeal of such poor kids would have some effect,’’ he said.
Rawat added that the school which had been opened recently is now thriving with the enrolment of 27 students.
The tiny school has been providing free education, stationery, books and uniforms to the children dwelling in the Sapera Basti.
Rawat, further, said that the school had faced initial problems as the people of the Basti were sceptical about education of their children bringing about a positive change in their life. “They were suspicious too of the motive behind setting up the school in their area.
But with time, their suspicion-tinged indifference melted away. They are now convinced of the good intention that has helped the school come up.
Now, the number of children studying here is surging as their parents are sending them enthusiastically,” he said.
Moved by the positive mission the school signifies, the department of home science, G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology has sent one of its students Poonam Naugain to do her internship in the school.