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By:

Shoumojit Banerjee

27 August 2024 at 9:57:52 am

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of...

Classroom of Courage

In drought-scarred Maharashtra, a couple’s experiment in democratic schooling is turning child beggars into model citizens In the parched stretches of Maharashtra, from Solapur to the drought-hit villages of Marathwada, a modest social experiment has quietly unfolded for nearly two decades. It is neither a grand government scheme nor a corporate-backed charity. Since 2007, the Ajit Foundation, founded by Mahesh and Vinaya Nimbalkar, has worked with children living at the sharpest edges of society in Maharashtra. The foundation has become a home for out-of-school children, those who have never enrolled, the children of migrant labourers and single parents, and those who scavenge at garbage dumps or drift between odd jobs. To call their foundation an “NGO” is to miss the point. Vinaya Nimbalkar describes it as a “democratic laboratory”, where education is not merely instruction but an initiation into citizenship. The couple were once government schoolteachers with the Solapur Zilla Parishad, leading stable lives. Yet what they witnessed unsettled them: children who had never held a pencil, begging at traffic signals or sorting refuse for a living. Prompted by this reality, the Nimbalkars resigned their jobs to work full-time for the education of such children. Leap of Faith They began modestly, teaching children in migrant settlements in Solapur and using their own salaries to pay small honorariums to activists. Funds soon ran dry, and volunteers drifted away. Forced out of their home because of their commitment to the cause, they started a one-room school where Vinaya, Mahesh, their infant son Srijan and forty children aged six to fourteen lived together as an unlikely family. The experiment later moved to Barshi in the Solapur district with support from Anandvan. Rural hardship, financial uncertainty and the pandemic repeatedly tested their resolve. At one stage, they assumed educational guardianship of nearly 200 children from families that survived by collecting scrap on the village outskirts. Eventually, the foundation relocated to Talegaon Dabhade near Pune, where it now runs a residential hostel. Twenty-five children currently live and study there. The numbers may seem modest, but the ambition is not. Democracy in Practice What distinguishes the Ajit Foundation is not only who it serves but also how it operates. Within its walls, democracy is practised through a Children’s Gram Panchayat and a miniature Municipal Council elected by the children themselves. Young candidates canvass, hold meetings and present their budgets. Children maintain accounts and share decisions about chores, activities and certain disciplinary matters. In a country where democratic culture is often reduced to voting, the foundation’s approach is quietly radical. It treats children from marginalised backgrounds as citizens in formation. The right to choose — whether to focus on sport, cooking, mathematics or cultural activities — is respected. “We try never to take away what is their own,” says Vinaya Nimbalkar. Rather than forcing every child into a uniform academic mould, individual abilities are encouraged. A boy skilled in daily calculations may not be pushed into hours of bookish study; a girl who excels in cooking may lead the kitchen team. For children who have known only precarity, standing for election, managing a budget or speaking at a meeting can be transformative. On International Women’s Day, the foundation seeks visibility not just for praise but for partnership. If you are inspired by their mission, consider supporting or collaborating—your involvement can help extend opportunities to more children in need.

When the Storm Knocks Twice: A World Caught in the Climate Crosshairs

Climate Crosshairs

Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, speaks during the opening plenary session at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit in Baku, Azerbaijan.


The gravity of the climate crisis was laid bare in Baku as more than two dozen world leaders detailed the escalating toll of extreme weather on their nations at the United Nations’ annual climate conference. From Grenada to Pakistan to the Marshall Islands, their accounts stood as sombre reminders of relentless droughts, fierce hurricanes, and torrential downpours that had grown both unpredictable and unmerciful, underscoring that no nation - regardless of wealth or might - was immune.


Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, illustrated the precarious existence of small island states, recounting a gruelling 15-month drought abruptly shattered by the violence of a Category 5 hurricane. The message he conveyed was clear: while today it might be the island nations bracing for catastrophe, Spain or Florida would not be spared tomorrow. The implication was simple, if chilling: we all share one vulnerable planet.


This shared sentiment underscored the interconnectedness of the crisis, a rallying cry that small island nations amplified throughout the conference.

Philip Edward Davis, Prime Minister of the Bahamas, voiced the urgency felt by vulnerable countries, particularly as political instability in major economies like the U.S. and Germany often stalls climate progress.


Among the most pointed critiques came from the High Ambition Coalition, a consortium of nations demanding robust climate action. The group highlighted what they termed an “inverted morality” where the heaviest polluters sidestepped their responsibilities, leaving those least culpable to pay the steepest price. Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, did not mince words, suggesting that some nations were “deliberately burning the planet” through inaction. The unfulfilled pledges of climate aid, he warned, might soon push smaller countries to seek redress through international courts.


Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif highlighted his country’s vulnerability to climate disasters, including severe monsoons and heatwaves. He urged developed nations to honour their climate finance promises, citing the 2022 floods that displaced millions and caused $30 billion in damages. With cities like Lahore now among the world’s most polluted, Sharif emphasized the urgent need for financial support.


The issue of climate finance has been a sticking point, with Pakistan advocating for grant-based support rather than debt-financed assistance. Sharif called for grant-based climate support, arguing that loans would only worsen the debt burdens of vulnerable nations. Despite the 2022 agreement on a “loss and damage” fund, only $700 million has been pledged—far less than needed. Sharif reminded attendees that, though Pakistan contributes little to global emissions, it is among the hardest hit, and climate finance must reflect this disparity.


While Pakistan has made strides toward climate adaptation, such as developing a National Adaptation Plan and a National Carbon Market Framework, it is clear that domestic initiatives alone cannot suffice. Sharif reaffirmed Pakistan’s pledge to generate 60% of its energy from renewable sources and transition 30% of its vehicles to electric by 2030, but emphasized that these targets are contingent on international support.


Reflecting on past pledges, Sharif underscored the need for accountability in fulfilling climate finance commitments, drawing a clear line from the unfulfilled $100 billion annual pledge to the new, more ambitious goals. Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the necessity of early warning systems for countries like Pakistan, where unpredictable floods, heatwaves, and glacial melt present an existential risk. Citing the UN’s Early Warning for All initiative, Dar outlined Pakistan’s plans for disaster preparedness, from mangrove restoration to policies encouraging electric vehicle adoption. Yet, he maintained that even these steps require stable and predictable financing from wealthy nations.


Meanwhile, negotiations for a climate finance deal at COP29 continued, with a draft proposal setting the stage for possible agreements. The latest version included new demands from developing nations, led by the G77 plus China, for $1.3 trillion in annual climate finance.


Pakistan’s leaders used the conference to convey that the climate crisis requires far more than short-term political gestures; it demands a structural shift in how the world finances adaptation and mitigation.


In meetings with world leaders from the UAE, Turkey, and the UK, Pakistan’s delegation emphasized the need for grant-based support instead of loans, which they argue trap vulnerable nations in debt. Sharif described these loans as a “debt trap” and called for transformative climate finance to address the urgent needs of affected countries.


The absence of leaders like Joe Biden, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi was notable, but Pakistan remained focused on building consensus for a unified climate response. For Pakistan and other vulnerable nations, COP29 marked a pivotal moment in the fight for climate justice, emphasizing shared vulnerability and reinforcing calls for accountability and decisive action.


As COP29 draws to a close, Pakistan’s delegation leaves with a renewed hope that the world will heed their call to action. With early warning systems, grant-based financing, and meaningful support, developing nations can adapt and thrive in the face of an evolving climate landscape. The global community must now rise to meet these demands, translating pledges into tangible action to bridge the gap between rhetoric and reality.


(The author is a senior journalist based in Islamabad. Views personal.)

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