RAYADURGAM (ANANTAPUR): Twins Veena and Keerthi of Kalugodu village in Gummagatta mandal, never expected that they would return to school being orphans. Now, they are back in school and express gratitude to I&PR minister and Rayadurgam MLA Kalava Srinivasulu for his sincere efforts in introducing Chaduvula Vodi, a scheme that helped check dropout rate of girls in government schools in the backward area of Rayadurgam in Anantapur district.
The father of the girls, Viswanatham died 12 years ago due to a chronic ailment while their mother, Sunitha, a labourer, failed to return to their house after going to the weekly fair in Gummagatta.
The duo were raised by their grandparents, who approached the minister during his visit to the village and sought help.
It was then that the minister felt the need to focus on checking the dropout rate of girls in the area.
Veena says she wants to become a police officer and trace her missing mother while Keerthi says she would become a collector and serve the poor.
“We have been waiting for our mother for the last three years but there is no info about her,” they said, fighting back tears.
The girls, students of Class VIII, were accommodated at Kasturba Residential School in BT Project.
Similarly, Lavanya, a native of D. Hirehal and an Intermediate student in Rayadurgam College, recalls how their father deserted their family 12 years ago. They are five sibilings with four of them being girls. The eldest of the girls got married and the marriage of the second one is on cards. For the marriage expenses, the other two siblings are working in a garment store. “It is due to the initiative of the minister that I am able to pursue academics. I scored 9.2 grade in first year Intermediate,” she said and added that she would become a teacher and serve the rural people. Apart from men deserting their families due to drought, Devadasi culture is also predominant in Rayadurgam. “Knowing that many of the minor girls in the families were getting engaged as workers at various places as they do not have support of their parents, the officials suggested a need to do something. During a survey by the mandal and village-level officials, it was noticed that many girls were discontinuing studies,” the minister told Deccan Chronicle.
At least 2,300 girls were identified to have discontinued studies and efforts are on to admit them back in schools in the last two years.
The minister convinced the parents to admit their children to schools again by resolving many of their family and financial problems.
