Chhattisgarh's Dantewada launches 'Bal Mitra' to curb school dropouts

Dantewada (Chhattisgarh) [India], August 28 (ANI): As Chhattisgarh moves along the path to come out from the clutches of armed Naxalism by March 2026, the administration in Naxal-hit Dantewada has started preparations to ensure a bright future for children through an innovative campaign 'Bal Mitra'.
The campaign has been launched in Dantewada to bring school dropout children back onto the path of education. Through this scheme, education centres are being established within villages to provide learning opportunities to these children.
Under this campaign, Bal Mitra Libraries are being established as a space where students are taught fundamental literacy and numeracy skills, said Dantewada Collector, Kunal Dudawat.
"Here we bid to ensure a suitable learning space for children through storytelling, poems, and a child-friendly environment. Moreover, the children are being subjected to sports and other extracurricular activities," said the collector while speaking to ANI.
The key focus of this move is to connect dropout students with the education system by linking them through Bal Mitra volunteers, he added.
Dudawat further elaborated that last year, the Bal Mitra campaign was operated in 65 panchayats,The and several children were linked to the educational system. Bal Mitra volunteers host two-hour sessions for the children, who are already a part of the educational system, so that their fundamental numeracy and literacy skills can be improved.
The move is expected to enhance the quality of education in the coming days and provide children with the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities.
The programme is being run across the district, and sharing more details about the campaign, the officer further informed that Bal Mitra volunteers are either young individuals who have completed their college education or are currently pursuing it.
These volunteers receive a stipend of Rs 6,000 and are also provided with training, which enhances their leadership qualities and improves their speaking and communication skills. Bal Mitra volunteers are likely to advance in their careers in the future.
Speaking about the final result of the Bal Mitra campaign, the collector said that the final result of this campaign will be dropout dropout-free district and linking of students ranging from 6-14 years to the school education system, improvement of fundamental as well as numerical skills, which should be at par with the state as well as national average.
Sharing her experience, Kumari Deepak, a student, stated, "I come here every day and get to listen to stories in new and creative ways.'
Another student, David, currently in sixth class, said, "At Bal Mitral Library, we learn the alphabet along with dictation and counting. We also learn new stories, including picture-based stories. Moreover, we also play fun games. Under the guidance of a mentor, we learn drawing skills as well."
"By coming to the Bal Mitra class, we get to learn new things every day. We are taught drawing, storytelling, and get to do new activities. We also play games. Many children come here, and we all play and learn together," said Sujata Das, a student.
"The Bal Mitra program is a two-year fellowship. Each village has a Bal Mitra fellow who works with the children and community in the village. They are also connected with schools. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, many children from rural areas stopped attending school, resulting in a decline in educational levels. Efforts are being made to reconnect these children with schools," said a Bal Mitra volunteer, Manoj Kumar Pawar.
He added that a survey was conducted in which Bal Mitra fellows identified children who had dropped out or were never enrolled in school.
"A list of such children is made, and through coordination with the Panchayat, they are re-enrolled in schools via the Bal Mitra initiative. Some of these children lack documents like Aadhaar cards or birth certificates. We help them obtain these documents and get them enrolled in school again. The process is ongoing right now and has benefited a lot of children. They now come to the Bal Mitra centres on their own, read storybooks, draw, and participate in various activities," Pawar added. (ANI)