In Andhra, a school bears testimony to the toil of mothers who wanted education for their kids

“This school is very special to me because my mother helped build it along with many other women in our village. I have heard so much about how they saved money little by little and worked together for many years to make this place for us. When I sit in my classroom or play on the big ground, I feel proud that this school is our own. Here, we have good teachers, a computer laboratory, science laboratories and so many things to learn,” says Akshitha.

For the women of Orvakal mandal, in Andhra’s Kurnool district, the dream of education for their children had started, according to reports and local accounts, with a summer camp for the kids sometime in the early 2000s. Back then, most children from the area would end up as child labourers. The camps continued for some years. Then in 2008, a small, single-room school started with a handful of students, which over the next decade became the sprawling institution of today. All through the backbreaking toil of women who wanted education for their children.

But the origin story of this extraordinary feat goes further back, to a time when Orvakal and its women were far different from what they are today.

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Imagine a harsh, rocky land. Ravaged by droughts. The soil cracked and parched. Villages where men and women of working age have left, in search of work, leaving behind the elderly. Even children here drop out of school in search of work. A full day’s labour at times yields as little as Rs 15. Child marriages are rampant, with girls as young as ten being married off. If a woman died unnaturally, cases are “settled” outside police stations; “if one woman succumbs to domestic abuse, her younger sister is married off to the same man”. Untouchability is deeply entrenched, with tea stalls keeping different sets of glasses for the upper and lower castes.

That is the picture of Orvakal in the mid-90s, painted from old records and memories of those who still recall that time.

Then, in 1995, under the initiative of then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the United Nations Development Programme’s South Asia Poverty Alleviation Programme (SAPAP) was launched here in 1995, recall old timers.

The project saw the formation of women’s self-help groups (SHGs) in the region. A group of 30–35 SHGs formed village federations; these federations came together to form mandal-level federations.

Lives began to change. Women, so long abused and downtrodden, began to not just build their finances, but also confidence, trust and leadership. Loans were given to members, which ensured timely access to funds, transforming lives through farming, small businesses, livestock rearing, education, and healthcare.

Of course, change did not come overnight. Nor was women’s mobilisation achieved without challenges and pushback from the traditional society.

A 2002 news article reported how men in an Orvakal village, who had once criticised women for participating in these programmes, were now depending on funds from them to lay down drinking water pipes.

According to reports, the women launched over 300 small businesses with the support of the SHGs — jute units, dairy farms, poultry units… Migration reduced. Women became entrepreneurs, employers, and economic drivers.

Sushilamma (identified by first name only), once a beggar from a marginalised community, gives her own example.

“I joined a savings group and it changed my life,” she recalls. “I took a loan of Rs 30 lakh and started businesses in spices and sarees and bought an autorickshaw for my husband. With the earnings, I could build a two-storey house and educate my three sons,” she adds.

Another beneficiary, Ratnamma (identified by first name only), who identifies as a child bride from a Dalit family, “with a bonded labourer husband”, says she bought a one-acre plot after joining a SHG and started vegetable farming, supplying to markets. Today, her daughters work as nurses and her son is an engineer, she says. “Having become a community resource person, I have travelled internationally and worked across 12 states,” she says.

While financial progress was the first to come, the women credit Vijaya Bharathi for making them aware that true progress was incomplete without education. Having come to Orvakal as a UNDP project officer to spearhead the poverty alleviation initiative, Bharathi recalls her early realisation that the root cause for poverty was not simply the lack of money, but the illiteracy, child labour and social inequality.

From setting up camps to educate the children, to helping women realise that progress would come faster with education and then being their support system when the women decided to build their own school for their kids, the women say Bharathi was with them every step of the way.

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Realising the dream wasn’t easy. The women pooled together seven acres of land, including some reportedly donated by Bharathi. Funds for the building were mobilised through interest earnings of the SHGs and donations from earnings of the women. They wanted modern facilities for the kids. For a little over a decade, an estimated 12,000 women toiled, brick by brick, building the school of their dreams for the next generation.

In 2017-18, when the building was ready, they named it after Bharathi — the Balbharathi School. Not many beyond the immediate vicinity know of this success story of the woman for Orvakal, perhaps, but for the families whose children study here, and the students themselves, it is an achievement like no other.

“We are not preparing children for exams; we are preparing them for life. Our goal is to build students’ self-confidence and shape them into good human beings,” says Shiva Shankar, one of the teachers at the school, adding that they create a friendly environment where students can freely ask questions.

With a total student strength of 1070, across Kindergarten to class X, the school is spread across three floors, with 60 classrooms and facilities like digital classrooms and playing fields. The state board syllabus is followed for teaching, with a firm focus on practical learning, group discussions and teaching of life-skills. Meals are provided free for students and regular health check-ups are organised.

“The women who built this school are not just founders; they continue to be its backbone. As committee members, they are actively involved in the day-to-day functioning of the school. They regularly visit classrooms, observe teaching methods, and ensure that quality education is being delivered by conducting monthly review meetings. Their interest in academic progress and teaching models is genuine and deeply inspiring,” says CGM Sobha Rani, who teaches biology at the school.

She adds: “Even during the recruitment of teachers, they take great care in selecting individuals who are not only qualified but also committed to the children’s growth.”

For the women, to see the school operational is deeply satisfying.

“I carried bricks and sand for this school… Along with many women like me, we worked for days with hope. We saved every rupee and, through our hard work and contribution, turned this dream into reality,” says U Lakshmi Prasanna, a parent and SHG member, whose elder son is pursuing an MBBS degree after passing out from Balbharathi School, while her daughter recently appeared for her class X boards here

“Today, when I see the children studying here, I feel that not a single drop of our sweat has gone to waste. This is not just a school for us… it is our pride, our sacrifice, and our children’s future,” she adds.

For D Aleema, a mother of four and SHG worker, the school has been a beacon of hope, especially since her husband’s death.

“All four of my children study here. Three of them are receiving free education. Seeing my children go to school happily every day, playing joyfully, studying well, and achieving good marks fills me with great happiness. For me, this school is not just a place of learning… it is a support system, a source of strength,” she says.

While many of the students talk of a marked improvement in the behaviour of the children since they started attending the school, the students themselves talk happily of the many activities they participate in and the meals they are served.

“Balabharathi Educational Institution stands as a comprehensive model by integrating education, health, and nutrition,” explains Vijaya Bharathi in an interaction with The Federal. “It is not just an educational institution, but a beacon of hope shaping future generations.”

The Federal has also reached district education officer K Sudhakar for comment. The article will be updated if a response is received.

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The faculty members too are deeply conscious of the uniqueness of the institution and take pride in being custodians of the dreams and aspirations of the many women whose selfless toil and sacrifice went into building it.

“Every wall here carries a story, every classroom reflects years of patience, and every child represents a dream that was once carried on the shoulders of their mothers,” B Savya, the school’s principal, tells The Federal.

“What's remarkable is that the same women who built it, continue to nurture it with care, accountability and a deep sense of ownership. They are an integral part of it. Not only in educating children but also in transforming the generations to come. This is not just a place of learning—it is a symbol of strength, dignity, and the power of collective vision,” adds Savya.

Agrees Shobha Rani: “Most of our students come from humble backgrounds, but they carry big dreams.”

Like Akshitha, who dreams of becoming a doctor. “I want to come back to my school as a doctor and make my mother and all the other women who built this school happy,” says the 14-year-old, her eyes filled with the dream of a success that was dreamt by a generation of women before her.