AMS has worked with the hostel for a number of years with different projects and we wish to thank the MSA community for their ongoing support.
The Chetana Tribal Boys Hostel is home to 70 boys aged between 8 and 18 years old who come from poor families and are of the marginalised Shantal ethnic minority. These children live at the hostel and attend government schools in the area (grades 5 – 12). Due to extreme family poverty their families are unable to send them to school, with many children only eating one meal a day, however, their families do contribute a small amount of $7 USD per month to keep their child in the hostel. This co-payment generates an investment by the family in their child’s wellbeing and prevents the hostel from being seen by these families as a permanent place to send their child. The children return to live and work with their families during holidays and value the education their child receives. If the boys weren’t at the hostel, then they would likely not be attending school.
The children who stay at the hostel currently take public transport to two schools over 5 kilometres away from the hostel. Often the buses and minivans will not stop as they are full so the children either return to the hostel or walk for over one hour in very hot conditions on a busy road and other times the children have to ride on the roof or cling to the sides or back of the bus when there is space. There is also a problem that because they pay student fares, the conductors won’t let them on as they would rather take an adult who pays the full fare.
Recently, the Chetana Tribal Boys Hostel was able to purchase a minivan to transport the children to and from school every day. Thanks to Marist College North Shore and Marcellin College Randwick (who both go on immersion to Talit) for their generous fundraising efforts and subsequent donations, which combined to make this vehicle a reality. AMS has supported this project for a number of years with different programs and wish to thank its many donors throughout the years as well.
This vehicle will ensure that these tribal boys continue their education and in the long-term help them find a respectable job and move out of the crippling poverty that plagues these ethnic minorities.