Tribal villagers in AP build makeshift school to end children’s ordeal of travelling on horseback

VISAKHAPATNAM: Villagers of the Kondu tribe, a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PTG), constructed a makeshift school with ‘shramdan’ at Neredubandha, a village on the border of Anakapalle and Alluri Sitarama Raju districts.

As many as 18 families and 28 children reside in the two hamlets of Neredubandha and Panukulabanda. Of the total, 12 children were enrolled to a school at Z Jogampeta, five km from their village, this year. In a bid to avail the benefits under the State government’s Amma Vodi scheme, which makes 75% attendance mandatory, the students were forced to go to school either on horseback or walk the distance due to the lack of a motorable road.     

During a meeting on January 8, the villagers shared their safety concerns over the children going to school on a horseback and tiger movement in the region. Following this, they decided to construct a school at Neredubandha. However, their problem remains unresolved as they have now appealed to the ITDA project officer to allot a teacher to the school.

Each family contributed `500 to purchase 500 tiles from Z Kothapeta. They brought the material in an auto to Z Jogampeta and from there carried it to Neredubandha on a horseback. The tribals collected wood from the nearby forest and constructed a shed under shramdan. As many as 60 tribesmen, including children, participated and completed the construction in 10 days.

Village elders Killo Potti Dora and D Appa Rao said they constructed the shed for a school so that the government will appoint a teacher. “We urge the ITDA project officer to visit our village, understand the conditions we are living in and do the needful,” they added.The villagers said a doctor from the USA, Suresh, promised to build the school after reading reports on the tribals building roads by themselves.