How to live in the middle of a river: Meet Bintoli Community

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At the start of July we visited a number of Dalit communities in Patna, India to learn from many of the inspiring people who live there. One of these communities was Bintoli, home to one of the 27 Learning Centres we support here for Dalit children.
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All the Dalit groups we work with in Patna face discrimination, exclusion and violence, but Bintoli also has to cope with regular flooding. The village is situated in the middle of the river, and becomes an island for about two months a year during rainy season. Over this time the 500 people who live here are completely isolated. They were forced to move to Bintoli from another area when the government built a railway, then half the community lost their land in floods. All the people here now have to rent off the land mafia.

Road to Bintoli in the first week of July.

By mid July it is cut off by flooding.

Read below as we introduce a group of resourceful, dedicated people, who against all odds are making a difference for others around them.

Anita and Nidhu - sisters who teach

Both these teachers were introduced to the job through joining one of the Women’s Groups that we support here. Anita has two children now attending good school when before she couldn’t afford any education for them. She says "I have experienced severe poverty, so I understand the struggles of those I work with". She is also a tailor thanks to a loan from her local Women's Group and loves teaching so much she gets bored in the holidays. 

Aarav and Saisha

Aarav is Prime Minister of the Bintoli Children’s Parliament. He is already turning into a great leader and walks around the area making sure all the children get to school, then supports them during class. He is also something of a hero, having rescued Saisha (pictured here) from being trafficked. 
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Saisha had been abducted by her aunt and taken to a hotel. They were waiting for her to be picked up and taken away by traffickers when, thanks to Aarav calling a local childline and raising the alarm, the police burst in and rescued her. Fortunately Saisha was not aware of what was about to happen. Her parents are both disabled, and families with vulnerabilities like this are often targeted by traffickers. Saisha's mother is now a member of the Women's Group and has got a small business loan to help her get an income and make the family more secure. 

Aarav says “Saisha went missing, and I could see her mother walking around calling for her. I was worried and I called the local childline. They sent the police on a search and found Saisha and she was returned home safely”.

​Saanvi and Ryka - determined learners

Saanvi and Ryka were at the centre but have now transitioned to government secondary school. This is a huge achievement as it is very unusual to reach this level of education in Bintoli,  especially for girls. Most parents here have never attended school. Saanvi and Ryka come back to the centre each afternoon after school for ongoing care and support and to help with the younger ones. They also travel from Bintoli to use the Computer Centre we support. When the road floods, they are so dedicated that they pay 14 rupees to get a boat across and then a rickshaw. This is a large percentage of what they make each day selling vegetables.

Lots of encouragement and support helps children to be more confident in themselves despite the discrimination they face. ​

Muscan - sleeping over the water

The Women's Group in Bintoli is one of the newest and they are just getting to grips with saving and supporting each other. Muscan the leader of the group, has constructed this adjustable bed which she can put up onto a higher level when the floods come, and sleep over the water. She explained to us that if you leave your house unattended when the rains come it can be taken from you.

Neysa

We currently support over 900 Dalit children in 30 Learning Centres like this one in Bintoli. Each one is a place of safety, care and support where children learn, have fun, realise their rights and are encouraged to recognise their inherent worth. An eventual reintegration to school is a long term process where children are supported at every stage. 

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