Hazaribag Youth Group 'Arth – Ek Prayas' Transforms Pocket Money into Social Change for PVTG Community

Hazaribag: Choosing compassion over comfort, a group of young friends from Hazaribag city are turning their modest pocket money into a tool for social change. By contributing small amounts from their daily expenses, the group collectively raised funds to distribute essential items among the needy from time to time.This group, all students —some pursuing school or college education while others are preparing for competitive examinations — have also formed a voluntary organisation named “Arth – Ek Prayas” in 2023 and did their first philanthropy work in the Birhor Tola of Churchu block, one of the most marginalised habitations of the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG). As their first initiative, they gave residents of this hamlet essential items for winter to beat the cold.Gradually, they also went on to run social media-driven donation drives to crowdsource reusable garments to distribute among the needy.Going beyond material support, the group also focuses on education and awareness by running weekly classrooms in the hamlet, where they teach the children every Sunday and help them with hygiene tips, among others. The team also provides notebooks, books, pens and other educational materials, while maintaining coordination with the local administration to address broader issues.

A significant milestone was the celebration of Independence Day on August 15 last year and the Republic Day on January 26 this time in the hamlet — something that has never happened before there. A PVTG resident of the hamlet said, “Earlier, we used to go elsewhere to watch the programmes, but for the first time, such events were held in our village.” A volunteer with the group, Khushi Sinha, said, “Helping children study and ensuring warmth for those without proper winter clothing gives us a sense of fulfilment,” she said.Expressing happiness with the work of the group, the Birhor community said the winter items and educational support helped improve their daily lives. During his visit last year, the joint secretary of the Union ministry of tribal affairs, Brij Nandan Prasad, interacted closely with members of the Birhor community, reviewed ground-level implementation of the welfare schemes and visited the weekly classroom run by the youth group and appreciated the initiatives.

Another member of the group, Rishi Prasad, said, “The positive outcomes are clearly visible today — children in the area are clean, disciplined, and steadily moving towards education. All educational needs are fully provided by our team. To ensure that the children do not face any difficulties, constant coordination is also maintained with the local administration.”