The ashram is now home to children between the ages of six and 16 years (Representational)
In a nondescript village in Maharashtra's Latur district, a couple has created a haven for underprivileged children to educate them and make them self-reliant, and they are now proud parents to 51 boys and girls.
Moved by the plight of children from poor backgrounds, Sharad and Sangeeta Zare, both in their 40s, started with a humble endeavour to educate them but soon realised that teaching them different skills would secure their future.
The couple has set up 'Majha Ghar,' an ashram run by their organisation Manus Pratishthan, on 14 acres of land near Budhoda village in Ausa tehsil. The ashram is set up on 1.10 acres, while the remaining land is used for farming and various crops are produced by the children.
"Mahatma Gandhi introduced the concept 'Nai Talim' in 1937, dreaming of making villages independent and self-reliant. Similarly, I want to make my children self-reliant. We teach children to make idols and other items by reusing and recycling materials," Sharad Zare told PTI.
The ashram's expenses are met through the sale of farm produce and handicrafts made by the children, he said.
Over the years, the Zare couple have adopted 51 children from varied backgrounds, including those from red-light areas, orphans, children of sugarcane cutters and farmers who committed suicide.
The idea to work for the underprivileged children took shape when he came across a tribal girl performing tricks on a tightrope in Pune in 2016, said Sharad, a postgraduate in mass communication.
"The child was so talented, but she was deprived of education as she belonged to a poor family," he said, adding that due to lack of opportunities children from such backgrounds get exposed to substance abuse and resort to crime.
Initially, the Zares started an ashram in a hilly area of Vantakli village in Parali tehsil in 2019 with 70 children. They were, however, forced to leave after two years due to political pressure. They then moved to Ambejogai, Katgaon, and finally shifted to Latur district in March last year.
The ashram is now home to children between the ages of six and 16 years, some of whom are enrolled in a day school nearby while the rest are taught at the ashram itself.
For an all-round development, the timetable at the ashram has been designed to include yoga, pranayam, voluntary labour and sports, apart from regular classes, which are run by socially conscious teacher, who offer their services for free.
The couple kept up their efforts even during the COVID-19 pandemic by starting 'shala baherchi shala' for the children of sugarcane cutters.
"There are many drawbacks in our education system. Modern technology has forced children to depend on bookish knowledge. It is necessary to teach them skills and make them self-reliant," he said.