Of the total population in Tiwadiya village, nearly 18.75% are in the 0-6 age bracket. The village, located in Dewas district of Madhya Pradesh, has a total population of 2,475 of which 1,287 are males while 1,188 are females, as per Population Census 2011.
In 2009, a teenager from this village stepped into the Bapu-Buddh AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Since then, there has been no looking back for Amit.
Amit is from the second batch of the Indore Chatralayam (this hostel project was launched in 2005). He came to know about our educational intervention initiative in rural India when Swami Aishvaryananda Saraswati ji, the coordinator of our Madhya Pradesh Chatralayams visited his village on a Padyatra (walking tour) where he advocated the need for good education. Amit listened to Swamiji and got inspired to do something with his life. The first step was getting access to schooling and education.
In 2010, Amit moved to the Smt. Jamunabai Chanchlani AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Hoshangabad, Madhya Pradesh. He completed his class X and XIIth while studying in this hostel.
Amit’s father who is no more grew corn and wheat in rotation in the village. His mother continues to do farming in Tiwadiya. Amit has a younger brother who is studying in class Xth and is residing at the Bapu-Buddh AIM for Seva Chatralayam for Boys, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. His younger sister resides in the village back home with his mother.
After completing his class XII, Amit enrolled for a BA programme at the Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Govt. Arts & Commerce College, Indore, Madhya Pradesh in 2014. His subjects included history, political science and economics. He moved back to the Indore Chatralayam then.
Recalling his childhood days, Amit says it was filled with struggles. “Our village school wasn’t electrified and when we came back from school, there was no motivation to study. Our career paths were pretty much pre-determined at that juncture-farming.”
But an exposure to the AIM for Seva environment just when Amit stepped into his teens made that big difference. “I made good use of all the facilities at my disposal – after school academic support, yoga and music. I realised that if I had to achieve something in life, educational continuity was the key. And thanks to the daily hostel routine, I became more disciplined.”
After completing his graduate studies in 2018, Amit started preparations for various competitive exams. We are happy to share that Amit recently joined the Indian Postal Service at Indore, Madhya Pradesh as Gramin Dak Sevak. He is getting a monthly salary of Rs 12,000. “There were only two vacancies for this particular post,” he tells us proudly.
Amit knows this is just the beginning of his professional journey. “I am planning to take the UPSC (Union Public Service Examination) examinations. I am preparing for the same in my free time,” he says.
In the last ten years, Amit has seen a vast improvement in his personality thanks to the Chatralayam intervention at the right age. “I know for sure that my communication skills have vastly improved.”
Amit has been a beneficiary of our flagship programme, Chatralayam and what’s heartening is that he is already giving back to the institution that nurtured him for 12 long years. “I make it a point to go to the Indore Chatralayam frequently and help students with their studies,” he says.