Franz Gastler with girls during a training session in Hutup. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, July 26: He came to this state with social service in mind, but now he wants to give a new dimension to the lives of tribal girls living in the nondescript village of Hutup in the district.

Meet Franz Gastler, a Harvard graduate who came to live in this hamlet after a chance meeting with Uma Jhawar, the wife of industrial tycoon Basant Kumar Jhawar.

Franz landed here in May 2007 and lived with a farmer’s family in Ormanjhi in Ranchi. He lived in a mud house with the family and taught students English at Carmel Convent. It was a bold step considering his background.

Franz completed his bachelors and masters with international political economy from Boston University and then graduated in programme on negotiation from Harvard Law School.

“My stay in the state was for three months only but I ended up spending over five months in 2007. And now I am back again. I found the learning curve here quite steep and want to tap that,” said Franz. After the five-month stay, he went back to the US only to return in February this year.

Besides English, he teaches the girls football. “I teach them English, football and they teach me Hindi. I understand Hindi and over the months have learnt to speak the language. Main atthais (28) saal ka hoon (I am 28 years old),” he said.

Regarding his move to teach the girls football, he said: “One day a girl called Suman came up to me with a football and asked me to teach her. She was my first trainee but now I have 16 girls under my tutelage. Of these girls Pushpa is very talented and I hope she makes it to Sports Authority of India centre here as a trainee.”

Franz added: “Playing football has made the girls confident and now they are planning to shape their lives in a different way,” he said, adding they are looking beyond helping the family with household chores.

Though Franz had to give up a lot while helping these villagers but he finds it satisfying. “These activities have limited my social life to Sundays only. Adjusting to the local food habits had led to weight loss, when I came here I was 77kg now I am 69, but the rewards are satisfying and keeps me going,” he confessed.

He said: “I plan to live here for a few years more.”