She is known as the Mother of Orphans in Nayagarh. Pravasini Nanda has taken upon herself the responsibility of raising destitute orphans as her life mission. She has also set up an orphanage for the less privileged and a school for tribal children. In a chat with Orissa POST, Pravasini looks back on her life so far.
Pravasini plays the role of an angel to children who are abandoned by their parents. She showers love and kindness on all those who come to her ‘Mother Orphanage,’ which is officially known as Nayagarh Kala Parishad. As a kid, Pravasini was saddened to see the plight of two orphan girls who happened to be her classmates in school. It was then that she made up her mind to do something for abandoned kids. She lost her father Narayan Nanda when she was 20, which came as a deep shock to her. To get over the trauma, she kept herself busy in social activities. It was during this time that she decided to research the status of orphan kids in Odisha and help them out in some way. So when her family came up with a marriage proposal, she rejected it and left her home to begin her work with orphan kids.
Recalling the initial days, Pravisini says: “I always had the desire to do something for needy children who struggle so much after being abandoned by their parents. Actually, the plight of two of my friends who were orphans had a lasting impact on me. I used to see them crying to have a proper meal. Most of the time, I would share my lunch and study materials with them. Soon after completing my master’s degree in social work, Sanskrit and physical education, I thought of setting up an orphanage for abandoned children. During my stint as a sports teacher in Holy Family English Medium School, I did a lot of research on bringing up orphan kids. While I was busy with this work, my family had a different plan for me. They wanted me to get married. When they zeroed in on a proposal, I just left home to lead life on my own terms in January 2006. Since then, I have dedicated myself to rescuing abandoned children and providing them a secure home and future.”
She continues: “I started with a music school Nayagarh Kala Parishad to hone the singing talents of abandoned and poor children in 2000. After leaving my family in 2006, I set up the orphanage ‘Mother’ at Odagaon. It was not easy. I took Rs 2 lakh from my family which they had kept aside for my marriage. I realised that education is more important than raising the kids to become a part of society. As there was no school near the orphanage, and students had to cross the national highway to go to school, I decided to set up a school for orphans and children belonging to scheduled tribes and scheduled castes who had a difficult childhood. It took time, but I managed to set up a school named Mother Abasika Vidyalaya near the orphanage. I started the orphanage with just 17 children. But the strength shot up to 185 by 2009. Most of the inmates were from Kandhamal district. When the state government decided to rehabilitate orphans in their home districts, some children left. At present, the number of students in the school is 300.”
At first, Pravisini offered door-to-door tuitions to raise money to feed the orphans. “As I failed to make both ends meet, I started collecting old clothes, books and notebooks from schools and good Samaritans. People like retired school SI Bhagaban Sahu, former district panchayat officer Chakradhar Mahali and additional district magistrate Kamal Lochan Das supported my endeavour.
“I still recall the first night I spent at my orphanage. I had left my family and was with the members of my new family. At around 11 pm, I realised that I had managed to get through the day by feeding my kids dry foods from the market. I asked Mani and Biki Nayak to look after the kids and left to arrange a gas stove and cylinder so that we could cook for the kids next day. I moved hither and thither aimlessly, praying to God for a miracle. At that time, our gas distributor happened to see me roaming around in the night and asked me the reason. Moved by my endeavour, he agreed to provide me a gas connection. It was nothing but God’s grace. Being the youngest in my family, I had always been the most loved member. When I slept on the floor on the first night without my family, I felt their absence in my life. But I did not retreat from my mission. My mother kept sending me a part of her pension for the noble cause.”
Pravasini worked hard to ensure the proper growth and development of all the children under her care. She raised them with love and affection and helped them build careers for themselves. With the confidence gained over the years, she says, “I am a mother to those who have no one to look after them. My happiness lies in taking care of them and bringing them up.”
“Once, ten inmates of my orphanage fell ill. I had to admit them in Nayagarh district headquarters hospital. Though the doctor prescribed medicines for them, I was helpless as I didn’t have money. However, Dr Asish Dixit came to my rescue and provided the medicines. In another incident, one of the inmates was diagnosed with brain malaria. Again, I had no money to buy medicines for the child. When I expressed my inability to pay, the shopkeeper gave me medicines free of cost. Whenever I faced any sort of crisis, the Almighty has sent someone to help me. My struggle is still continuing. But at the end of day, I feel happy to see the smiles on the faces of my children.”
The orphanage and school set up by Pravasini are manned by 20 employees. Those who are assigned to look after the orphanage are not paid while those who work in the school are paid employees.
Pravasini, who has been honoured by the former Governor of Odisha SC Jamir for her contribution towards society, has also adopted a girl child. “I found her lying outside Arya Samaj at Nayagarh. She was only one day old. I took her in my lap and decided to adopt her. Swapna is now 10 years old and studying in Class VI.”
Tales of abandoned children
“Female foeticide is still rampant in our country. Those who cannot find out the gender of the child before delivery and are keen to have only a boy abandon their newborn angels somewhere, in garbage, bushes, riverside, roadside or even on railway tracks,” points out Pravasini, adding that the number of girl inmates in her orphanage is twice the number of boys.
Bhagyalakhmi and Rajalakhmi Sahu (twins) were deserted by their mother when they were hardly five. Pravasini found them lying outside the orphanage gate and took them in. She solemnised Bhagyalakhmi’s marriage recently. She also managed to trace their mother 15 years after the incident and handed over Rajalakhmi to her.
Bhagyalakhmi says: “I would have been begging somewhere if Maa had not come to our rescue. She is not our biological mother but what she has done for us is incomparable. She has given a new lease of life to both me and my sister. She is truly a mother for us.”
Jagruti Nayak’s case is also heartrending. Jagruti was barely three when her mother lay battling cancer at Nayagarh district headquarters hospital. After Pravasini learnt from the doctors that she was unlikely to survive, she decided to take Jagruti under her custody. Pravasini contacted the then district collector and sought her permission to take the child to her orphanage where she is now spending a happy life. Jagruti has no recollections of her past. “She is my mother. She has taken me under her protection and brought me up with great care. Never once did I feel abandoned or helpless,” says Jagruti who is in Class VIII now.
Pravasini rescued three sisters Mamali, Sima and Rima after their parents’ untimely death. They were brought to the orphanage when they were toddlers. Now Mamli, Sima and Rima are studying in Class IV, Class VI and Class VII, respectively. The siblings say: “Maa has helped us grow into respectable members of society. She has kept us on the right path in life and offered us the love and care of a real family.”