This is the third part of the three-part series on ‘the right to education of children living in the slums of Indore‘ as a part of the Justicemakers’ Writer’s Training Program, run in partnership with Agami and Ashoka’s Law For All Initiative. The first and second parts can be found here and here.
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Swami Vivekananda once said: “Education is not only a collection of information, but something more meaningful.” He felt that education should be life-giving and character-building in nature. To him, education was an assimilation of noble ideas.
While I read this quote and include it in my article, I see the importance of his views and thoughts. Education, as he rightfully said, is the essence of life. It teaches you about the essential things that are required on a day-to-day basis.
In my earlier articles on education, I discussed the problems children from the slums of Indore have been facing, and the laws as well as policies of the Indian government meant to make education more accessible to all.
There are various solutions to the problem of lack of access to education. Some solutions people have come up with include teaching in rain baseras (night shelters), on footpaths, under bridges etc.
Learning Under The Sky
In the NGO that I founded, Vijay Social Welfare Society, our very personal solution for this problem was creating a place where all the children from the various slum of Indore could sit together in harmony, and talk to each other.
They sit on the ground and under the sky. They sit on mats with well-versed teachers who teach them, patiently.
Our solution was very simple: creating a place where children from different classes, age groups and families, could come together to study any subject of their choice, from the subjects taught by the different teachers present at that point of time.
In my opinion, it is very simple to criticise the government and its laws, when thinking about our society and seeing that not enough people are being helped. On the other hand, it is very difficult to work in a positive direction, to fix this problem.
“Where Knowledge Is Free”
Our goal of teaching the children enough so that they know how to read and write, was bigger than criticising others. We decided to create change, thought of a plan, and executed it to the best of our abilities.
It was Rabindranath Tagore who said “where knowledge is free”, and we planned to transform these words into reality.
I myself teach English, pronunciation and vocabulary to the children associated with my NGO. My experiences with the children gives me the joy and fulfillment I need to remain charged up for months to come.
Talking about the time I spend with the kids, we have the best time together. They eagerly wait for me every single day. These children are so punctual that they complete their regular homework with a lot of dedication and sincerity. They are more committed than most, they just need some academic support and encouragement.
All Children Need Is Our Support
If I am on leave or unable to teach for some other reason, I am bombarded with so many questions when I return to them. They question me and ask me why I didn’t come to teach them all these days.
One such episode is about a 7th standard student named Rahul Kumar. He comes from a family with a single parent as his mother died when he was very young. Once, I had an important event scheduled so I couldn’t turn up to teach him (and the others) for three consecutive days.
He was in tears when he saw me on the fourth day. He said to me: “Didi, aap hume bina bataye teen din tak nahi aaye. Hume laga aap hume wapas padhane nahi aaoge (you didn’t come to teach us for three days straight, without letting us know. We thought you would never come back to teach us again).”
His face and his words left my heart racing. I will never forget this incident or that winter evening. Seeing him cry for me made me realise why I do what I do. These children just need care and kindness. In return, you will receive lots and lots of unconditional love.
Many Children Come From Troubled Families
There is so much unconditional love I have received from my students. It gives me mental peace to think about the fact that there are kids who wait for me and depend on me. Two hours of my evening are dedicated to them. I have to fulfill their expectations by being there for them. I try to give my 100% when teaching them.
The children we support come from very different backgrounds. Some are rag pickers, others are the children of daily wage workers, while yet others live in families with alcoholic fathers and distressed mothers. Their fathers come home drunk, in the night, and cause inconvenience as well as pain to their mothers. Some come from families with a single parent looking after them, and others come from families with working mothers and unemployed fathers.
Now, the main problem is that the parents aren’t available to look after their children, which causes them to deviate from the path of education at a very young age. There is no-one to tell them what is right and wrong.
Education Is NOT Limited To Book Learning
There is no-one to guide children from disadvantaged backgrounds on how to proceed in life, what are the things which are important for them to lead a happy and successful life etc.
This is where my NGO steps in. This is also a gap we try to bridge. We ask all the children to gather in a place (like an open field) and conduct bal sanskar shivirs (children’s value education camps)—where we talk to them about morals and ethics. We try to inculcate values in them which will benefit them.
For instance, we conduct sessions on menstrual hygiene for the menstruators from the slums who have just hit puberty, or are about to hit puberty. Moreover, we hold sessions on consent, boundary-setting and self-defence too.
This is because education is not just limited to what you can learn from books. Till now, we have been able to reach over 300 children.
The Pandemic Has Increased The Educational Gap
Right now, there are at least 250 children who attend our workshops and classes regularly. The strength was more before the pandemic hit. After Covid-19, a lot of things have changed. It’s like we have had to start our outreach work all over again, but we haven’t given up.
We have started making people aware about the importance of education and building skills. Yet again, we have started going to houses on a door-to-door basis to talk to the parents about how these two years have negatively impacted the growth of their child.
We talk to them about how their children now require double the attention to get back on track. The pandemic and online classes have only increased the educational gap of students from the slums of Indore multifold.
It’s not all bad, though! For instance, there are lots of girls who have managed to get into different colleges of their choice. In spite of many of their parents forcing them to get married, they chose to opt for a graduate degree instead. This is a huge achievement for us.
Young Girls Don’t Want Marriage, They Want To Better Themselves
The young girls who I interact with, are very courageous, and adamant about the fact that they want to increase their levels of their knowledge and live a good lifestyle. This is exactly what we wanted to achieve. We want them to live their lives on their own terms.
One such student is Surbhi Tyagi. She is in her second year of university right now. Surbhi is studying dentistry. She would regularly attend our classes after school, and learn from the teachers present there.
At the same time, she would also teach the younger ones all the knowledge she had gained so far. She told me that her college is beyond amazing. She is a sincere and hardworking young woman.
I am sure that after she finishes graduating, she will do exceedingly well in her professional life. It is because of students like Rahul and Surbhi that I get an immense amount of satisfaction and motivation to continue working for the cause of education for all.
Every Child Deserves A Playful Childhood
Currently, there are more than 50 boys and young men who have learnt various skills like driving, gardening, typing and more. Instead of forcing them to study, we helped them gain vocational skills so that they can sustain themselves and their families, in the future.
When I see children and former students benefiting from the services provided by my NGO, it fuels me to do more. It makes me feel like I can continue to promote the right to education, endlessly.
In conclusion, I would like to say that my thoughts on the importance of education are as firm as they were when I first started out. I am of the belief that each and every child has the right to a normal and playful childhood, with access to education, information and leisure.