There is a saying, “Education is the key to unlocking the golden door of freedom,” but the people of Bahatola under Shri Ambra Village have never realized this truth, and education has taken a backseat. Education was never a priority and often discouraged by social misconception, poverty, and exploitation. Parents preferred to send children to work rather than to school because, for them, earning money through their children was a better option than spending money on a child’s education. That attitude resulted in low literacy rates in villages and a high number of school dropouts. The government has put some effort into education, like opening schools nearby and offering midday meals, but things did not change much until I stepped in as a Transformational Community Development (TCD) worker to ignite a spark for learning.

Although I started teaching about the benefits of an education a long time ago, parents and children were not really interested. I started free tutoring, but the turnout was very low, even after repeated visits to parents. Once upon a time, the tutoring center was shut down for zero attendance, but I continued to raise educational awareness and restarted the tutoring center. Things have begun to change now as 10 children are showing up regularly. Some children were doing exceptionally well in studies, but poverty had kept them away. By the end of the month, the number had grown to 11 students, and more parents are enquiring about the tutoring center.

With each student attending regularly and driven by a newfound enthusiasm for their studies, school attendance has grown significantly. Moreover, it is the parents taking the lead to send their children to school as well as the tutoring center. One parent shared that her daughter struggled with math, but she trusted me completely to turn that around. This unwavering belief from the community fuels my resolve to build a brighter, more promising future for the children of Bahatola Village—because every child deserves the chance to thrive and achieve the freedom uncovered by education.

Thank you,

Written by Romish, GHNI TCD Worker