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Maharashtra: In times of drought, this Aurangabad school means business of humanity

Apart from the 200 Aapli Mule students, there are around 400 others who study at HMPS.

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In the normal course of things, schools teach students. But a school in Aurangabad in drought-hit Marathwada is teaching an entire state a big lesson on how to face adversity.

The institution drawing everybody's attention is Dr Hedgewar Memorial Public School (HMPS). It offers help to those children who are not able to pursue their education as the breadwinners of their families have committed suicide due to drought. In June, this residential school enrolled over 200 such children in the age group of 5-15. In 2004, HMPS started its operations in Aurangabad to provide education in rural areas at affordable fees. However, after a series of drought-triggered farmer suicides, the school management decided to take care of the educational needs of children affected by such extreme acts across Marathwada.

The school has named this project as Aapli Mule (Our Children). Currently, HMPS is funding this project through donations. Apart from the 200 Aapli Mule students, there are around 400 others who study at HMPS. "My father killed himself six years ago. With great difficulty, my mother used to send me and my three siblings to a local school. One day she came to know about Aapli Mule project and got us admitted. Since then, we all have been studying here," said 8th standard student Hrishikesh Kapse of Fardapur village in Ajanta.

Apart from imparting education, HMPS is planning to secure the future of girl students under the Sukanya scheme of the Central government by opening bank accounts in their names. It is also planning to put some money in their accounts and hand the amounts over to their parents at the end of their education. That's not all. The school is also mulling over helping in marrying off these girls.

Talking to dna, HMPS director Shamsundar Kanke said, "If there is will, there is a way. I know, after some of the months, we are going to face financial crunch. But then, there are lots of good people in the country who come forward and donate in cash or kind. After seeing the performance of these students, many other parents are now ready to send the children to our school. We are appointing widows to take care of our children. We are also creating other jobs for widows through small scale businesses."

Seven month ago, a farmer from Bardapur village of Ambejogai tehsil committed suicide, leaving behind his wife and five daughters. When the school management approached this farmer's widow Madhuri Suryawanshi, she immediately sent her children to HMPS. "We are five sisters. Since June, we have been studying here (at HMPS) and finding the atmosphere better. The school management is taking good care of us and we are doing well here. We all remember our mother but she doesn't have money to visit our school. Our school teacher has told us that they will send us home during Diwali vacation," said 13-year-old Maheshwari Dyneshwar Suryawanshi, the eldest daughter of the dead farmer.

To house the children, the school management has rented a three-storey building close to the school. Six women are now working in the hostel as caretakers of these children. Currently, there are 60 girls in the school and management claims the number will gradually increase in the coming years.

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