Six years ago, even before prime minister Narendra Modi popularised the idea, a Mumbai-based group adopted a village in Dhule. But instead of using brooms, they used the power of their brushes to help the village. Students and home-makers from around the city have created more than 125 paintings so as to finance the development of Ghartad village in Dhule district. They have managed to raise over Rs 6 lakh in this way in the past few years.
Twelve to fifteen women and three teens from across Mumbai have taken up the task to paint for the village. Kalyani Srinivasan, a widow, spent Rs. 30 thousand on painting materials. Her paintings sell at Rs 70 thousand each, and all the proceeds will be used for the village. Husein Motiwala, 14, stays in Mazgaon and took up the task of painting a month ago. "(My teacher) told me that even one painting could change a life. I have already painted 10 to 13 paintings and the painting exhibition will help both me and the villagers. They will get much-needed help and it'll help my future as an artist," he said.
This year round, they have a bigger task at hand as the Vedant welfare foundation, an NGO started by their art teacher S. Ravindranath plans to build a school and an old-age home in the village. Ravindranath said, "We have built a shelter where we are taking care of homeless women and senior citizens. We also built two common toilets 6 years ago." Ravindranath has been teaching art for 20 years. He started the NGO in 2009 and currently has 200 members.
The art class at Ravindranath's Chembur residence has students from the age of four to 74. He has held seven exhibitions already. Shanti Satyan was inspired by her aunt Kalyani to join the cause. "Art runs in my family and I wanted to get back to painting after my baby grew up. I do it as a therapy and I am not a commercial artist. Its my first attempt at creating so many paintings for a cause and I am happy to be involved," she said.
Vishal Sonawane is a farmer in the village and is associated with the NGO. The 30-year-old said, "There are more than 1,500 people living in this village and I have seen things change ever since the NGO came here. We have to pay to get government jobs and event the government doesnt do as much as they should. The rate of children dropping out of school has reduced and now there is passion to study more and move ahead. The NGO has held communication and personality development workshops here and we are positive that a school in our own village will be built."
"It's not just the responsibility of the PM, Sachin Tendulkar or MPs to adopt villages, it's the common man's responsibility too. We can do it without government funds," said Ravindranath.
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