HYDERABAD: The Labour department rescued Santosh Bogan from child labour when he was in Class 9. Decades later, in the remote tribal hamlets of Mulugu, where many children still have no access to schools, roads or basic government services, Santosh has returned — not as a victim, but as someone determined to ensure others are not left behind.
Through his NGO, People Helping Children (PHC), based in Chikkadpally, he now runs nine “bridge schools” in remote Gutti Koya tribal hamlets deep inside forest areas where formal schools, electricity and transport remain out of reach.
Launched in 2020, the bridge schools prepare children aged four to eight for admission into government tribal welfare residential schools. PHC appoints teachers, provides free midday meals, educational material and basic healthcare. Since the initiative began, about 258 children have studied in these schools, with over 120 later joining residential schools.
The organisation is sustained by more than 500 donors who contribute Rs 300 every month, helping provide food, clothing, education and healthcare to children living in tribal hamlets, slums and orphanages.
Born into a below-poverty-line family in Godavarikhani, Santosh’s father worked as a daily-wage labourer. After being rescued from child labour by the Labour department, he returned to school, completed a Bachelor of Social Work and worked with several voluntary organisations before founding PHC in 2018.
Speaking to TNIE, Bogan says he quit his corporate job during the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic to devote himself full-time to social work.
Education remains the NGO’s central focus.
Through its Enlightening Lives programme, the NGO has supported more than 128 students with school and college fees, books, hostel expenses and examination costs, besides distributing over 6,000 school kits across seven states.
‘Health is wealth’
Recognising the challenges faced by adolescent girls, the organisation launched the Every Month Safe Period campaign, distributing more than 5 lakh sanitary pads and conducting menstrual hygiene awareness sessions for over 2 lakh women and girls across Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.
Healthcare is another major area of work. Through crowdfunding and donor support, PHC has raised nearly Rs 2-3 crore to fund life-saving surgeries and medical treatment for more than 65 critically ill children. To reduce school dropouts among girls, its Cycle for Girls initiative has distributed over 130 bicycles to government school students who travel long distances to attend classes.
“What changed my life was someone believing that I deserved an education,” Santosh says. “Today, we are trying to become that hope for every child we meet.”