By Bikash Kumar Das
Bhubaneswar: At 62, Nivedita Lenka, has achieved a rare distinction not many can think of. She is a mother not to her only child but hundreds of children who never knew what the word mother meant. Thus known affectionately as 'Yashoda Maa,' Nivedita from Lumbini Vihar in Bhubaneswar has been the fountainhead of love, unconditional at that, for more than 200 underprivileged children. Nivedita provides these children everything they need - from study materials, clothes, food to lots of love.
Born and brought up in a traditional joint family in Ranpur of Nayagarh district, Nivedita was one of the very few women i the village to pursue higher education. But her heart was always drawn to those who were forgotten, deprived and neglected. And she believed that to give these people a better life, the first necessity was arming them with education, that can transform their lives, families, and the nation.
Ifu Mallick, a young lad from Kandhamal, dreamt of becoming a doctor but had no means to achieve it. Nurtured by Nivedita, who encouraged him and funded his coaching, today Mallick is pursuing medical science at Shaheed Laxman Nayak Medical College in Koraput after clearing the entrance in flying colours.
Akanksha Mohapatra who qualified the OPSC exams and Rashmi Ranjan Behera who is also a medical student, credit their success to Nivedita who supported all of them through finances and was there with them emotionally during tough times.
“These dreams were never just theirs, they were mine too. I did not belong to an affluent family but whatever I had, I wanted to spend it for people who need it the most. So when the needy children wanted to live their dreams and fly, I gave them wings,” Nivedita, who started adopting children since 2000, says.
Nivedita’s work was not limited to a few individuals. Within a short time, she became the 'Yashoda Maa' for children in five slums around Bhubaneswar. In these areas she began her initiative ‘Barnabodh’, a literacy programme where children can be taught alphabets and more. Here, she also ensures the children are fed, get clothing, and proper education - all of which she bears from her own pocket.
At some places, she has even hired local teachers to privately tutor children, making sure every child has a fair chance at a bright future. From toddlers just learning alphabets to teens prepping for careers, Nivedita stands by them as their guardian angel.
One of the most tough times of her life came when in 2007 a gas cylinder explosion claimed the lives of a couple, leaving behind three orphaned children. Nivedita did not think twice before taking them all and looked after their needs. She arranged their stay, education and even arranged the weddings of the two daughters. The son Rashmi Ranjan is the one who is doing his MBBS.
“That incident was a moment of reckoning for me. It changed my perception and my life took a new turn,” she recalls, her eyes moist.
Ask her how she manages funds for all the kids she embraces as her own and she says, "I manage with my own funds. My husband and son are working and we have some amount always earmarked for the children. Besides some of our friends and good Samaritans take over some kids' funds requirements. So money has never been a big problem," she admits nonchalantly.
Her husband, Prafulla Kumar Lenka, a retired forest officer, and their son, Panjis Kumar Lenka, support her mission wholeheartedly.
But all that Nivedita has done so far is just a part of her mission. She plans to build a permanent home and educational space for poor and talented children who have nowhere else to go. “The work I do is like serving God and I will continue this till my last breath,” she says.
For what she has done for the underprivileged children, Nivedita has been honoured by many organisations including being felicitated by then CM Naveen Patnaik.
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