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The Shoshit Seva Sangh (SSS) was formed with the objective of providing quality education to the poorest of the poor. Among the vast poverty ridden population of Bihar(India) the most exploited and deprived is the Musahar (rat-eaters) community. Musahars are landless labourers who have been living in grinding poverty and sub- human conditions for centuries. Many among them are like bonded labourers living in ghettoes on the outskirts of villages.

Presently (2011), the school, Shoshit Samadhan Kendra, has 250 students all living in the school hostel. We plan to increase the numbers by 50-55 each year. As there is lack of both literacy and education in this community, almost all the new admissions will be in the pre-school class (UKG). Notwithstanding claims on paper and official handouts, even those children who are studying in 5th and 6th classes of the government village schools under the Serva Shiksha Abhiyan, are not fit to join even class 1 or class 2. Therefore, we can increase the numbers in the school gradually, and we hope to build a capacity to have 1000 students in the fully free residential school in the next 4 or 5 years. We have recruited a well qualified, and an experienced faculty in all the subjects taught at the school. Presently the ratio between the taught and the teachers is 1:20.

Capacity building is essential to the success of the project. SSS has already acquired two acres of land for Rs.2.5 crores i.e. $595238 approximately. It must now raise funds to build a school which can house 500 students in the first phase by 2014-15 and double the capacity by 2020. C.B.S.E. rules mandate that for affiliation a school must have all the necessary facilities and two acres of land. A project report has been prepared by engineers and architects and in the first phase the proposed school building will have floor area of 70000 sqft. Including classrooms, laboratories, library, computer center, dining hall, auditorium etc. On completion of phase II the floor area will be 114360 sqft. The estimated cost of construction of the first phase is Rs.7 crores i.e. $1666666 approx.

Story 1.
14 year old Papu and his his parents live in a musahar ghetto called Pakhur-Pali in the Patna district. His father is a landless laborer who makes very little money. In the four years that Pappu has been at Shoshit Samadhan Kendra, he has shown remarkable aptitude and progress. He has been appointed the captain of Dr. Ambedkar House. He was one of the few musahar children who improved his academics through self study. His academic performance is excellent.
• Class VI 2007 English – 66% Hindi – 77% Maths – 91% Science – 89 % Social Studies – 78%
• Class VII 2008 English – 73% Hindi – 73% Maths – 95% Science – 70% Social Studies - 70%
• Class VIIi 2009 English – 90% Hindi – 82% Maths – 97% Science – 92% Social Studies -- 81
• Class IX 2010 English – 89% Hindi – 94% Maths – 99% Science - 99 % Social Studies - 96%

Pappu as well as the others at Shoshit Samadhan Kendra shall undoubtedly make a quantum jump in life when they pass-out from the school. They will act as catalysts of change for their deprived and unfortunate community. Pappu is a brilliant student and there is no doubt that he will make a quantum jump in life. He now aspires to become a highly qualified Software Engineer.

Story 2.
11 year old Pankaj Kumar Manjhi comes from a musahar ghetto known as Maharaja-Pali Toli, located in Patna district. His father was killed tragically a few years ago and his mother now works as a landless laborer. Landless laborer’s in Patna generally receive a daily wage of Rs. 25 (approximately 50 cents) during the working season, which only lasts about 6 to 8 months in a year.

Pankaj is now in Class V and has been at Shoshit Samadhan Kendra for over three years. The marks obtained by him in class III (final examination) and class IV (final examination) are reproduced below. Pankaj is doing extremely well in class V and in the mid term exam he averaged 75% across English, Hindi, Maths, Science and Social Studies.* Class III 2007 English – 49% Hindi – 86% Math – 79% Science – 75% Social Studies – 67%
• Class IV 2008 English – 66% Hindi – 83% Math – 86% Science – 97% Social Studies – 76%
• Class V 2009 English – 75% Hindi – 75% Maths – 53% Science – 86% Social Studies - 86%
• Class VI 2010 English – 85% Hindi – 83% Maths – 61% Science – 82% Social Studies - 84%

This child now has a level playing field to compete with the best and work towards ensuring a future which he or his parents could never have dreamt of.

The Shoshit Seva Sangh (SSS) was launched on July 16, 2005 with the objective of providing quality education to the musahar children. The musahars are spread in penny packets, in ghettoes, in villages all over the Indo-Gangetic plains of Bihar. The Shoshit Seva Sangh, therefore, established in July 2007 a fully free English medium residential school in Patna, the capital city of Bihar for the musahar children. The school not only provides free tuition but also free boarding, lodging, clothes, books, medical care etc. It has recruited a fairly well paid and qualified faculty which is at par with the leading schools of the city. When the school Shoshit Samadhan Kendra was launched by Shoshit Seva Sangh in 2007 there were only 28 children. Presently (2011), the school, Shoshit Samadhan Kendra, has 250 students all living in the school hostel.

The aim of the project is to bring about a silent revolution in the musahar community, which has lived in sub-human conditions for centuries. It will not be enough to give the children brought under the project proper schooling. To enable and empower these children to make a quantum jump in life, and become a catalyst of change within their community, it will be absolutely essential to se e them through higher education in reputed institutions of the country. Hopefully, many of them shall compete into professional courses, such as computer software, medicine, engineering, law, accountancy, etc. run by recognized institutions. Those who can’t, will be given vocational training, which will ensure decent employment opportunities. The school, namely, the Shoshit Samadhan Kendra will have to parent these children till they reach their destined destination. The school has recently established a computer centre. Slowly, but surely, it will be imperative to create a corpus that puts the Kendra on a permanent footing - self sustaining with the necessary financial resources to achieve the silent revolution, which Shoshit Seva Sangh aspires to deliver.