Guwahati: From garbage vat and tea stalls to first division in High School Leaving Examination - the stories of child labourers Bitumoni Das and Ravi Poddar are sterling examples of what support and determination can do.

Bitumoni, son of a bus conductor, used to pick plastic bottles from dustbins to help his family make ends meet.

"We first saw him in 2010 at Maligaon, where he was collecting plastic bottles from a dustbin. We observed him for a while. He was very polite and obedient. We admitted him to the Centre for Education of Child Labour under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP). In 2013, we admitted him to Pandu Adarsha High School. It was hard work, but he continued his studies despite economic constraints. He went to school in the morning and then worked as a waiter in a tea shop. Our help and his parents' support helped. His hard work paid off in the HSLC. He secured first division and letter marks in mathematics," Kasturi Das, coordinator of Avas Foundation, told The Telegraph.

Avas Foundation, an NGO working under the National Child Labour Project (NCLP),supported Bitumoni under NCLP till Class V.

From Class VI, Avas supported his education but he worked part-time in a tea shop to support his studies and his family. Bitumani wants to pursue technical or commerce education.

"We hope God will help him fulfil his aim in life," Das said.

Ravi used to work in a small tea stall at Bamunimaidan here and also helped his father sell kerosene on the footpath, when he was offered support by Avas in 2009.

He, too, was initially sent to the Centre for Education of Child Labour in the area and Avas supported his education.

In 2012, he was admitted to Rashtra Bhasha Shanti Niketan High School in Bamunimaidan. He passed the HSLC examination this year with a first division and letter marks in mathematics, said Das.

Ravi wants to study further and dreams of doing business in future.

"Bitumoni and Ravi are our success stories but this is not the end. They will have to study further and establish themselves as meaningful human resource for the country. They are bound to face challenges in future as they still dwell in poverty. But a person has come forward to take Ravi's responsibility and we are looking for well-wishers for Bitumoni too," Das said.

Sampriti Barman, project director of NCLP, Kamrup (metro), expressing joy over the twin successes, said, "This success is the fruit of our endless hard work. We will venture further and also seek public cooperation at every step."

The NCLP had started in Assam in 2008. It conducts operations in Kamrup (metro), Lakhimpur and Nagaon districts.

The HSLC is conducted by the Board of Secondary Education Assam (Seba).