How Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences is changing lives

This is the story of Minati Naik of Tentala Pasi, a village in Keonjhar district, who has braved rough weather in her young life to come out victorious in the long run. Minati belongs to a very poor family of six siblings — four sisters and two brothers. The family struggled for survival and had to work as household help to make a living. The small piece of land that Minati’s father cultivated was not enough to sustain the family. It was often impossible to arrange for daily meals. Minati is a very industrious and honest girl. However, in a society where money and riches are the parameters of recognition, Minati’s family was often an object of ridicule and snobbery. It was practically impossible for the parents of Minati to think of a better future for her, amidst fate’s trials and tribulations. Little Minati resolved early in her life to fight against these inequalities and strived to overcome the same with determination. Minati was admitted to Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) School in Class IV in 2014. Her life changed for the better since that day.

However, an incident that happened in her life years ago led to far-reaching changes. Once, Minati accompanied her mother to the fields to harvest the crops. The landlord behaved with her in a very rude manner as he came to know that Minati is a good scholar and classmate of his own daughter. His rough behaviour was too tough for Minati to tolerate. But she kept quiet. However she lost her composure and accidentally wounded her hand. The heartless landlord, who belonged to a higher caste, started cutting her wages. The pain of losing her due earnings was greater for Minati than her physical wound. Little Minati could not forget the humiliation. But this incident propelled her to become self-dependent, do well in her studies and turn her fate around.

As if all this was not enough, Minati’s father is suffering from paralysis and lies bedridden. Minati is waiting to complete her education and become economically independent. She is indebted to KISS for supporting her in her hour of crisis and enabling her to fulfill her dreams of becoming a teacher.

Established in the early Nineties, KISS is today a vehicle of social transformation and is handholding thousands of indigenous students from the tribal hinterlands to live a life of dignity and honour. KISS empowers students with adequate domain knowledge, lifeskills, leadership and entrepreneurial abilities. Traversing the long journey from very humble means, KISS achieved the status of a Deemed to be University in 2017. KISS preserves, protects and promotes diverse cultural moorings and strives to develop a creative and critical disposition among students towards their own communities and world at large.

Thousands of girls like Minati are able to charter a new destiny for themselves, having KISS by their side. It is pertinent to note that a large number of girl students are on the rolls of KISS, which is the symbol of change.

This article has been curated in association with Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).