MUKTANGAN TRIBAL GIRL’S HOSTEL (Inception – 1988)

MAM is implementing integrated tribal development project in Ambegaon, Junnar and Khed blocks of Pune District. Muktangan Tribal Girl’s Hostel is part of such integrated approach. Hostel was supported by AWO International, Germany till 2010 and Now by Cummins (India) Foundation.

The inmates are girls from tribal villages situated in the hilly, remote, difficult access areas of the western part of the Ambegaon Block. The area has very high rainfall between 2000 to 3000 mm annually. Most of the villages on the hilltops are at an altitude of about 1000-1100 meters above the sea level.

In these villages facilities for education, health, electricity and bus transport etc. are extremely poor. During rainy season, heavy rains and fast flowing streams cut-off most of the areas from any form of vehicular transport. One common teacher for 2-4 classes in a single room is the condition due to which schools do not work properly. Teachers are unwilling to stay in such a remote area. There are a few Govt. residence schools, but quality of education there is not good. There is no hostel exclusively for girls in the area and hence parents do not send girls there. Very few tribal girls reach up to secondary school.

With this background the whole question of education for children belonging to such difficult areas and in particular the education for girls becomes very difficult.

Hence our small effort of running 90 girls, Muktangan Tribal Girl’s Hostel becomes very useful to the needy tribal girls. The girls in hostel come from such villages. Every year hostel facilities including food, clothing, educational material, medical services are provided free of cost to about 90 girls. These girls attend neighboring school run by Rayat Shikshan Sanstha.

We lay greater stress on motivation of the girls to learn and less on formal discipline. Cleanliness, good nutritious food, personal hygiene, regularity of the routine, taking care of the house and the campus, regular attention to their studies are the things we try to imbibe by motivation rather than by fear of punishment or force. We stick to their culture and food habits to make the girls feel at home as otherwise the change would make it difficult for them to adjust to home life in their villages when they go back. As the girls come from small tribal villages that have a good amount of cohesive community life, they are much attached to their environment and their people. We therefore try to keep the atmosphere here in the campus simple and congenial and suitable to the tribal way of life. We organize song and dance sessions. The girls also cultivate the vegetables according to their ideas. The girls go to weekly market for purchase of vegetables and maintain the daily accounts and they also help in cooking turn by turn which is a part of their formal training.

The academic performance of the hostel girls is satisfactory i.e. around 80- 86% pass every year. Considering the background of the students & the remoteness of the locality, this has been an excellent achievement.

Present era is known as Information Technology era. If these girls don't get computer education, they would not cope up with the present scenario. With this view the computer educational facilities are also provided in the hostel. Total 34 girls have passed MH-CIT (computer course, compulsory for Govt. jobs). We have 100% results from consecutive 3 years.