Njengamanye amazwe amaningi, i-India ibhekene nenkinga yemfucumfucu yepulasitiki. Nsuku zonke, kukhiqizwa amathani angu-26 emfucuza ezweni lonke! Futhi esifundeni sasePamogi esisenyakatho-mpumalanga yesifunda sase-Assam, abantu baqala ukushisa imfucumfucu ukuze bafudumale ebusika obushubile basemagqumeni aseHimalaya.
Kodwa-ke, eminyakeni emithathu edlule, uParmita Sarma noMazin Mukhtar bafika endaweni, abasungula isikole i-Akshar Foundation futhi beza nombono omusha: ukucela abazali ukuthi bakhokhele imfundo yezingane zabo hhayi ngemali, kodwa ngemfucuza yepulasitiki.
U-Mukhtar wayeka umsebenzi wakhe wokuba unjiniyela wezindiza ukuze asebenze nemindeni eyayincishwe amathuba e-US wabe esebuyela e-India lapho ahlangana khona no-Sarma, owayeneziqu zezenhlalakahle.
Bendawonye bathuthukisa umbono wabo wokuthi ingane ngayinye kufanele ilethe okungenani izinto zepulasitiki ezingama-25 isonto ngalinye. Nakuba le nhlangano esiza abantulayo isekelwa iminikelo kuphela, abasunguli bayo bakholelwa ukuthi “ukukhokha” ngemfucuza yepulasitiki kunomthelela emzweni wokuba nomthwalo wemfanelo okwabelwana ngawo.
Lesi sikole manje sinabafundi abangaphezu kwe-100. Akusizi nje kuphela ukuthuthukisa imvelo yendawo, kodwa futhi isiqalile ukushintsha izimpilo zemindeni yendawo ngokuqeda ukusetshenziswa kwezingane.
Esikhundleni sokuyeka isikole besebancane futhi basebenze ezinkwalini zendawo ngo-$2,5 ngosuku, abafundi abadala bayakhokhelwa ukuze bafundise abancane. Njengoba bezuza ulwazi, iholo labo liyakhuphuka.
Ngale ndlela, imindeni ingavumela izingane zabo ukuthi zihlale isikhathi eside esikoleni. Futhi abafundi abagcini nje ngokufunda ukuphatha imali, kodwa futhi bathola isifundo esiwusizo mayelana nezinzuzo zezezimali zokuthola imfundo.
Ikharikhulamu ka-Akshar ihlanganisa ukuqeqeshwa okusebenzayo nezifundo zendabuko. Inhloso yalesi sikole ukusiza intsha ukuthi iye ekolishi futhi ithole imfundo.
Ukuqeqeshwa okusebenzayo kuhlanganisa ukufunda indlela yokufaka nokusebenzisa ama-solar panel, kanye nokusiza ukuthuthukisa izikole nezindawo zomphakathi endaweni. Isikole siphinde sihlanganyele nenhlangano esiza abantulayo yezemfundo ehlinzeka abafundi ngamathebulethi nezinto zokufunda ezisebenzisanayo ukuze bathuthukise ulwazi lwabo lwedijithali.
Ngaphandle kwekilasi abafundi baphinde basize lapho okukhoseliswa khona izilwane ngokuhlenga nokwelapha izinja ezilimele noma ezilahliwe bese bezifunela ikhaya elisha. Futhi isikhungo sokugaywa kabusha kwesikole sikhiqiza izitini ezisimeme ezingasetshenziswa ezinhlelweni zokwakha ezilula.
Abasunguli besikole i-Akshar sebevele basabalalisa umbono wabo eNew Delhi, inhloko-dolobha yezwe. I-Akshar Foundation School Reform Community ihlela ukwakha ezinye izikole ezinhlanu ngonyaka ozayo ngenhloso eyodwa enkulu: ukuguqula izikole zomphakathi zaseNdiya.