1959
Sagroli…
Sagroli was just like a common village of HyderabadState.
It was in the darkness of ignorance, poverty and superstitions.
Villagers were illiterate, backward & there was no school in the radius of 50 km.
Shri Keshavrao Narayanrao Deshmukh, alias Shri Babasaheb Deshmukh, the only son in Deshmukh Jahagirdar family of Sagroli, was moved by the plight of the innocent poor rural people. He got inspirations from social reformers like Mahrashi Karve and soon decided to establish an organization which supports and empower rural community.
Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, though a dream child of one person, soon implemented in reality, with great team of dedicated volunteers, members of staff and advisors.
School started with merely 36 students, few huts and only teacher has now grown enormously into beautiful campus of wel-equipped two storied building with hostel accommodating two thousand rural boys and girls in lush green campus of Sharda Nagar, of Sagroli.
Since 1959, Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, has strived to impart a quality education to the deprived communities, Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal operates preschool level to pre-university level at a place under various banners. The high school cum college wing shapes the rural boys and girls for their promising future since past four decades with glorious record at national level, year after years.
The Chatrapati Shivaji High-school provided education to 3000 students with committed staff of 200 teaching and non-teaching members. All them reside within campus and attend needs of the students round the clock.
Apart from well-equipped laboratories, school has innovative science workshop to bring out the hidden talents of the young minds. Every year they try out their ideas and school has a great proud to say that at least one science project finds a place at the national level science fair organized by NCERT.
Manifesting concept of “Catch them Young” Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal runs pre-primary education centre for very young children under the banner “Balwadi- Anganwadi” for the children between 2 and 5 years of age. Crèches are run for the infants whose parents go for work during whole day.
Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal has proud of its N.C.C. troop for getting best Troops award for past 25 years. For three times the school cadets participated in prestigious Republic Day parade at New Delhi.
Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal initiated a special cell for conducting research on the life of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Chatrapati Shivrai Vidyapeeth conducts various competitions to motivate young people in the MaharashtraState.
Babasaheb was keenly watching changes and consequences in community and surrounding nature of Sagroli. In past couple of years surrounded hills of Balaghat range went deteriorating due to various social causes and exploitations. Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal took initiative to restore the forest area by adopting adjacent 600 hectares of land. School children contributed lions share in the restoration of echo-cycle.
Babasaheb Deshmukh took initiatives with support of Govt of Maharashtra to set-up a Military school with objectives to prepare sound and deserving youth for entry to NDA and elite Indian Defense Forces. While on its way to fulfill its objectives, it is an added feather in the cap of Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal.
Since inception, Babasaheb Deshmukh was keen to uplift physically impaired students. A wing for deaf and Dumb was opened in 1983 and striving to impart possible education to at least 20 such children every year. The students do stay with normal students and never feel separated from others.
It is realized that the strength and commitment of rural youth is far more competitive to the urban counterparts. By giving a chance to rural youth can bring laurels to the nation in every aspect including sports. Keeping in vision, under Project “Sagroli Sunrise”, a select young athletes are given vigorous training, proper sports material and special diet with pre-set goal to qualify for National Games, as wel as Asian games and Olympic- 2008. The project “Sagroli Sunrise” is not only limited to Sagroli but also extends to the tribal areas of nearby Chandrapur and Gadachiroli districts.
The visit of Mrs. Bonny Shah and Ratilal Shah was most noble coincidence. They were motivated by endeavor of Babasaheb Deshmukh and his Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal. They initiated many of their friends to support Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, by extending sponsorship.
While working at various levels of Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, Babasaheb Deshmukh was inspired with thoughts Dr. Hermann Gmeiner for tender care of orphan child and give them love, security and home. It is a social insurance as well as social responsibility.
Government of Maharshtra started first Balgram in 1974 and at the same time Babasaheb Deshmukh took strong initiatives to set-up Anand Balgram with beautiful 12 homes to care 108 orphan children, with similar objectives.
Every care is taken to ensure the quality standards of homely atmosphere and education for better prospectus of each child. Every child is brought-up with Cultural and social values.
Shri. Babasaheb Deshmukh took equal effort for inculcating moral values of court committed Children. Apart from providing an opportunity to education, Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal is taking care of their placement and family setup. Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal runs the remand home and shelters 200 boys and 50 girls. They are made to overcome their guilty consciousness and allowed to mix-up with other innocent child to grow up together.
Man and the environment are interdependent. Every change in the environment directly affects the living hood. Degraded environment results in degraded quality of life.
Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, since inception, is committed to better living of people. With common objectives, Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal shook hands with Indo-German Watershed Development Programme supported by NABARD, WOTR and Govt. of Maharashtra.
The programme has unique features of Shramadan and maintenance fund for developing and maintaining projects with Village Working Committies. Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal initiated projects like Dongaon, Patalganga & Nagadarwadi are identified as a role model.
As impact of old Nizam regime, women in the area were dominated by men in all respect even after 50 years of independence. Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal, since inception, had objective of women empowerment. Small self help groups are encouraged to discuss various social problems. They have formed pigmy saving groups with local banks and post offices. They are conducting various training workshops & guided for income generation programmes.
Babasaheb Deshmukh was always concerned for his co- village people. Being in most backward area in the state, he coordinated with various supporting and funding agencies like Sakal Relief Fund, Karl Kuebel Stiftung, Jan Kalyan Samittee, CAPAERT and constructed 500 low cost houses with all basic amenities like toilets, bathroom, improved chullhah and proper sanitation. The low cost technology encouraged many shelter-less people to build their own houses.
To take care of personal health, Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal has a small dispensary for primary health care at emergency.
Shri Babasaheb Deshmukh was fond of reading since his childhood. He had huge personal collection of books of diverse interests but mainly on agriculture techniques. He initiated public library by donating 500 books from his personal collection. The library is now independent and has more than 25,000 books. It resulted in spreading library movement in surrounding villages.
Realizing importance of animal care, Shri Babasaheb Deshmukh inspired with a unique concept of donkey sanctuary. Though the activities of the sanctuary are in very infant stage, it has created a sense in animal lovers across the globe. Blue cross society, Brook Hospital of United kingdom came forward with vaccination and de-warming programme to support the concept.
Sagroli is always a role model for all the activities. It is always a point of attraction for academicians and social activist across the nation. They do visit, share their experiences, bless the Sanskriti Samvardhan Mandal and support the cause.
With the experiences of “Karmayoga” from contributions Shri Babasaheb Deshmukh for social reformation,
Now Sagroli is far ahead from darkness and ignorance.
Every child is stepping ahead in brightness of education,
Every girl is empowered with self reliance….