Chandigarh: Punjab electricity board’s linesman Bhan Singh Jassi is showing the way in self-less service in five districts by helping poor slum kids purse education and give up rag-picking.
With a modest beginning in 2003 at Sherpur town of Sangrur district, when he started helping children whom he saw collecting plastic a mound of garbage on a cold winter morning, Mr Jassi today leads an NGO, Shri Guru Nanak Dev charitable Slum society. The organisation helps the kids with education, food and clothing.
“I clearly remember that on the first day all children abused me in the class. None of these children had any idea of classes or books. They had not taken bath in many weeks and were barefoot,” recalled Mr Jassi, 53, about his experience with the first batch of kids whom he helped in Sherpur.
The slum from where Mr Jassi started his journey, now has 140 children who have reached Class 12. “Four of our girls from slums of Patiala are doing nursing diploma and one girl has done BCA,” said a proud Mr Jassi.
His NGO now also orks in districts of Sangrur, Barnala, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib and Mohali.
The NGO, with 22 employee-cum-volunteers, has no office. It works by directly going to the slums where they help children by giving them extra classes in the evening, school bags, uniform, school fees, blankets and sometimes fruits as well as food items.
Mr Jassi, who still works as a linesman with Punjab electricity board, has a son and a daughter. His daughter is now doing Maths (Honours) from Delhi University and his son is in Canada. “ Although my children are now doing fine in their lives, I want to die working for poor slum kids, “ said an emotional Mr Jassi.
The NGO gets financial help from NRIs as well as local people. Mr Jassi usually prefers that any person who wants to help the poor kids should come to the slums and donate books or food himself.
Mr Jassi himself had donated '7 lakh to the NGO. The money was received by him as reward from various organisations for helping slum children.
