PATNA, Bihar — The roots of India’s diverse cultural and political history lie in the state of Bihar. Yet, Bihar faces great challenges in the face of poverty. Over half of the population lives below the poverty line. Infrastructure development is limited, and Bihar holds the highest rates of child marriage and illiteracy in the country.
However, this has not diminished the efforts of those within Bihar and in the United States from taking efforts to challenge the high rates of poverty. Relatives, Satish Tripati and Salil Tiwari have championed efforts to increase the number of students reaching high school and, optimally, college.
In order to do so, Tiwari and Tripati run a school, BalVikas Kendra. State run schools fail to meet the educational needs of children. Teachers are often absent. The schools themselves are falling apart; thus students can now receive their primary education from BalVikas Kendra.
The wealthiest children usually attend boarding school. Children who attend BalVikas Kendra are from average-income families within a three to four mile radius of the school. Many of these children are encouraged to attend by parents who do not own large plots of land and who want their children to receive an education in order to have a better life.
On the other hand, some locals were, and still are, reluctant to send their children to school, as they believe they are dependent on the children for household chores.
In the 1990s, BalVikas Kendra began as a hut. But at one point, the school was burned down.
Luckily, the school rebuilt and has rapidly expanded to include an assembly hall and a building. The current education system in India emphasizes memorization, but the intention of BalVikas Kendra is to promote creativity and critical thinking and challenge the perspective of students.
A Parthenon replica is now being constructed in order to hold classes and to promote free exchange of ideas, much like the intention of the original.
A native of Bihar, Salil Tiwari funds the school and the upkeep of the school from the United States. Tiwari emphasizes education, as his success is largely a result of access to education as well as his own work ethic. He wishes to pass on this success to others. Asked of his motivation, Tiwari said he wants to “carry on the wishes that my father originally had- a place for teaching and learning.”
Currently, the school depends on Salil Tiwari funding the school. BalVikas Kendra does not receive any funding from the local government, due to high levels of corruption that could negatively impact the school.
For Tiwari, the long-term goal is to create a self-sustaining school by forging a relationship with an agricultural college nearby. This could allow for the school to survive for generations. “Once you find something that is self perpetuating,” Tiwari stated, “it has hope for survival.”
By growing an orchard, the school could potentially produce enough to generate the money needed to run the school each year. Growing trees and producing fruits would also allow for the school to benefit the community around them.
By improving education in Bihar and contributing to the place he came from, Salil Tiwari is making a significant impact on poverty in this region. His and Satish Tripati’s initiative is part of the solution to global poverty.
Tiwari rightly said, “I think I’m going to be leaving this world a little better place than I found it.”
– Tara Wilson