Story Of Kalpana

Kalpana Salam is a Nanhi Kali of village Kanhanpuri of Narharpur block. This is a tribal village with a population of around 3200 people. The literacy rate of the village is 80%. Kalpana’s father Bimblesh Salam and mother Amerika Salam are daily labourers. She is currently in V standard in Primary School, Kanhanpuri. She has one brother and one sister, with her being the eldest child in the family.

Kalpana was taken as a Nanhi Kali in 2011-12 when she was a scholar in class-II. At that time Kalpana was a shy girl and not very active in physical activities. Her academic performance was also not very good. After becoming a part of the programme, she gradually kept improving in both academics and extra-curricular activities. She started participating in school level sports and her performance increased her confidence.

This year she was selected to represent the school at cluster level annual sports meet where she stood first in 100 meters race. This achievement has further boosted her confidence and she aspires to excel at block and district level competitions by which she can uphold the names of her parents, school and village. Teachers of Kalpana are also excited by her achievement. They are of the opinion that Kalpana needs additional support to grow her talent which is not possible in a place like Kanhanpuri where infrastructure facilities are poor. However, they have complete confidence in her to excel in performance in block and district level competitions in the coming days.

After being associated with Nanhi Kali programme, Kalpana has shown marked improvement in her academic performance. She became more regular in school. The classroom process followed in academic support center helped her develop leadership skills and confidence. She also received constant support and encouragement from the teachers that helped her explore and unravel the hidden potential.