For the nomadic community of Narikuravars in Tamil Nadu, the only mode of livelihood comes from selling beads on streets or worse, begging.
Amidst the various ostracised communities in the state, Narikuravars are a marginalised group who continue to be shunned from mainstream society and have no access to primary opportunities like that of education and employment.
One amongst five children, Sakthi Ramesh, had also been a victim of similar treatment in various government schools that he had been admitted to. He was only eight when he decided that he could not take the denigration anymore and left school
However, one young boy’s perseverance in making the world a better place for his community has not just earned him the tag of being the flag bearer of the Narikuravars, but also the nomination for this year’s International Peace Prize for Children
He has achieved this by convincing about 25 other children to follow the path of education to change the fate of their community.
Hand in Hand India, which works towards eradicating poverty through education, job creation and integrated community development, has a dedicated programme under its wing where dropouts and child labourers are identified and motivated enough to continue their education through residential special training centres (RSTC).
Sakthi soon realised that only with education, would there be an end to their community’s adverse living conditions.
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