Two days back I found myself in a village in Karahal block in Sheopur district of MP which was an outlier even to the wildest expanse of my imagination. One of the poorest villages I have been to. My fellow Sevavratee Rinkesh, our District Anchor for Sheopur, had chanced upon this hamlet while losing his way in the forest. Nobody from this village has ever gone even to a primary school. Notwithstanding the RTE provisions, there is no primary school within miles.
For reaching the nearest school one has to be cross a dense forest and so no child ventures into doing that. Water has to be brought from a distance of 2.5 km. Not even a working well or bore-well in the area. Bathing itself is a luxury and children don’t bathe for weeks together. No toothbrush to be found in the entire village. Kids of toffee-munching age (under 10) chewing tobacco. Completely forgotten village. Not on any map.
We are setting up our Seva Kutir here within a week. Also reporting to the State Govt about this.
Update
We have crossed 750 Seva Kutirs
We have crossed 750 Seva Kutirs now in as many villages in some of the poorest of poor areas in 17 districts of Madhya Pradesh