LUCKNOW He is just 15 years old but has motivated more than 50,000 kids to take up studies through his innovative programme ‘Bal Chaupal’.
Meet Anand Krishna Mishra, a student of class 11 in City Montessori School, LDA branch, who’s also a great motivational speaker.
Anand started his mission when he was just eight years old and, in the last seven years, he has visited more than 150 villages to motivate slum kids to start going to school.
Along with studies, Anand also organizes sports, singing and other recreational events in rural areas. That’s why rural kids call him ‘Chote Master’ (Little Master).
Speaking about his mission, Anand said, “In 2012, I started ‘Bal Chaupal’ after I saw a boy studying under the street lamp during the visit to a temple in Ellora. There I offered him Rs 500 as help, through my father, which he refused. I was surprised at his sense of self-esteem and understood the value of education. I then talked to the priests in the temple and they persuaded the boy to accept our help. He asked my parents to arrange some books, a pen and stationary for him, which my parents did happily.”
Anand further said: “When we returned to Lucknow we thought of doing something for such kids, whose studies are disrupted due to their poverty.”
{{/usCountry}}Anand further said: “When we returned to Lucknow we thought of doing something for such kids, whose studies are disrupted due to their poverty.”
{{/usCountry}}“There are many children who give up studies due to circumstances, some run away from studies because their concepts are not clear. Some don’t find good teachers,’ he said.
“That was the time when I started ‘Bal Chaupal’. I knew my parents didn’t have the money to finance the study of every student, but I wanted to motivate them to educate themselves. Initially, I started classes for poor students in Bahadurkhera, near RDSO. Only a handful of students who used to come to study there, as I was also a kid then. But, I taught those children all what I used to learn in the school,” Anand said.
He said, “My dream is to make everyone educated.”
Anand’s father Anoop Mishra is sub-inspector in PAC while his mother Reena Pandey Mishra is sub-inspector in UP police.
Happy at the initiatives of his son, Anoop said: “Till date Anand has ensured admission of 758 brilliant students in various schools, while he has motivated more than 50,000 kids in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal to take up studies.”
He added; “Anand is a very good orator and his motivational skills are exceptional, that’s why any child who comes in his touch starts following whatever he says.”
However due to increased pressure of studies in class XI, Anand now visits villages once a week but he has appointed local in charges of his study centres who help out other children.
Anand’s contribution to the society was recognized by the Uttarakhand government, which gave him the Youth Icon award in 2015. He also received gold medal for his ‘Bal Chaupal’ at the International Youth Festival. He has been nominated for International Peace Award twice. He said, “I want to qualify for IIT and after that I want to contribute to society.”
His classmate Harsh Vatsalya said, “We are proud of whatever Anand has achieved . We are all with him in his good work and have decided to work with him in our leisure time and support his cause.”