 What
would you think of children building their own school
building? Surprising? Also, inspiring? Could be. Especially
for all those who feel that in today's times no work can
be done without funds. For those who come to know that
the Radhabai Palnitnakar High School (R.P.High School),
aminority school run by the Maharashtrians, has achieved
something beyond one's imagination.
Situated in Sultan Bazaar, the R.P. High School
is one of the important institutions of the Vivek Vardhani
Education Society
(V.V. Education Society). It is imparting education
through Marathi, .the mother tongue of the Maharashtrian
children.and has a strength of 300, the number of classes
being 8.
 Since
a long time the school has been facing shortage of accommodation
and was constrained to use some class rooms of V.V.
Sangeet Mahavidyalaya and Dr. Daware School
situated in the same premises. As the school was facing
accommodation problem and was finding it difficult to
run all the institutions on a single campus, the Vivek
Varidhini's High School Committee resolved to take
the project of constructing five classrooms on the second
floor of the building. Since the school is an aided institution
there was little scope of raising funds..
The High School Committee decided to use a scheme based
on the principles of self-help, community service and
involvement of a few donors. Once decided, they began
to implement the project.
 The
students of the R.P.High School were given Vocational
Training in manufacturing cement blocks (bricks).
They were also taught the process of fabricating asbestos
sheets that would go in for making the roofs.It was
estimated that for the proposed construction of about
2,700 Square feet, the young students would have to
make about 7,500 cement blocks. The boys and girls of
the school, supported by the teachers and other staff,
took up this challenge. Voluntarily. With a great deal
of zeal and with a deep sense of community service.
A noted industrialist Martand Rao Koranne who
manufactures cement block-making machines lenta machine
and necessary dyes free of cost. In addition, he also
imparted excellent training to the students. In the
same manner Nandan Gandhi lent his hand mixer
and water sprayer free of cost.
The boys and girls made the cement blocks. But they
had to carry them upstaris, where the rooms were being
constructed. For this, they devised their own easy way.
First, they formed a chain. From the heaps of cement
blocks right upto the to the building from where they
had to carry them up. There were children on the terrace.
Using bamboos, they had devised an indegenous pulley
system. Between the group of children down below and
from those up above, the cement blocks soon began to
be sent up in buckets.
 Next,
children also had to fabricate asbestos sheets. It was
indeed a tedious and time consuming task. And carrying
the heavy asbestos sheets needed several pairs of hands.
There indeed were very many pairs of little hands working
together spiritedly. Working happily till they finished
their job. No, this isn't the case of child labour.
This is the case of child-work. A lesson in dignity
of labour. An exercise in self help. An instance of
togetherness and camaraderie. And the newly constructed
classrooms of Vivek Vardhini Education Society's Radhabai
Palnitkar High School are a mute testimony for all these.
May be for much more, too.
-Krishna Chaitanya Karanam
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