Yet another week has come to an end. The third week has been very hectic and laborious! Regular field visits and interacting with people from diverse background has been a different and enriching experience. It would be very difficult to recapitulate the learnings and experiences of the past week but towards the end, there is one thing which has made me ponder on a few things.
While growing up in a village in Jammu (till I shifted to the main part of the city), not many children in the village were going to a school. Some people, of course, were sending their children to a government school but the quality of education was no were close to that of a private school. My parents, being one of the few first generation educated people chose to send us to the best of the school in the city which was nearly 10-15 Kms from my house. Not for once, I questioned their choice, since, for me, my school was a place which offered numerous opportunities which were unimaginable to the rest of the children in the village. As a child, I was subconsciously taught that education (Please read Quality Education) is the best ornament and gift you can ever possess. Many years later, I understood the meaning of this statement for the first time when I had my first field experience while I was working for the Right To Education Resource Center in IIM Ahmedabad. Talking to children and their parents who against all odds decided to send their child, barely 5 or 6 years old, to a place which looks both desirable and worrisome. Almost after one year now, I met some families who had the same concerns about taking that first step, be it for anything - sending their daughter to college for the first time in family, participating in the seminars and drives on women empowerment in the village, being fully aware of the schemes being run for women by the government and what not. As one of the ladies said " Pehla kadam lena hi mushkil hota hai, chori ko vishwas karke school main daala hai toh abb isko rokenge bhi nahi. Chora chori main abb koi antar na reh gaya hai"( Taking the first step is the challenge. I trust my daughter and am sending her to school, I won't stop her now. There is barely any difference between a boy and a girl these days".
Change is always difficult and takes time. When I ask someone to send their child to school is as difficult for me to convince as it would be for him to stop me from sending my child to school! Making someone believe and do things which he has never done, taking that stand, investing in it and above all not doubting it is a mammoth task. If not there, we are still progressing. Why I tagged the example of Education here, is because I think it is the first step to a big change.
Each day, meeting people like these and hearing the stories of their one Leap of Faith is what inspires me to keep on going. If not for anything else, this is what I like the most about my job - I don't find the need to buy motivational and inspiring autobiography, I instead get the opportunity to meet such people. And not to forget, many years later I will remember these stories and smile!
While growing up in a village in Jammu (till I shifted to the main part of the city), not many children in the village were going to a school. Some people, of course, were sending their children to a government school but the quality of education was no were close to that of a private school. My parents, being one of the few first generation educated people chose to send us to the best of the school in the city which was nearly 10-15 Kms from my house. Not for once, I questioned their choice, since, for me, my school was a place which offered numerous opportunities which were unimaginable to the rest of the children in the village. As a child, I was subconsciously taught that education (Please read Quality Education) is the best ornament and gift you can ever possess. Many years later, I understood the meaning of this statement for the first time when I had my first field experience while I was working for the Right To Education Resource Center in IIM Ahmedabad. Talking to children and their parents who against all odds decided to send their child, barely 5 or 6 years old, to a place which looks both desirable and worrisome. Almost after one year now, I met some families who had the same concerns about taking that first step, be it for anything - sending their daughter to college for the first time in family, participating in the seminars and drives on women empowerment in the village, being fully aware of the schemes being run for women by the government and what not. As one of the ladies said " Pehla kadam lena hi mushkil hota hai, chori ko vishwas karke school main daala hai toh abb isko rokenge bhi nahi. Chora chori main abb koi antar na reh gaya hai"( Taking the first step is the challenge. I trust my daughter and am sending her to school, I won't stop her now. There is barely any difference between a boy and a girl these days".
Change is always difficult and takes time. When I ask someone to send their child to school is as difficult for me to convince as it would be for him to stop me from sending my child to school! Making someone believe and do things which he has never done, taking that stand, investing in it and above all not doubting it is a mammoth task. If not there, we are still progressing. Why I tagged the example of Education here, is because I think it is the first step to a big change.
Each day, meeting people like these and hearing the stories of their one Leap of Faith is what inspires me to keep on going. If not for anything else, this is what I like the most about my job - I don't find the need to buy motivational and inspiring autobiography, I instead get the opportunity to meet such people. And not to forget, many years later I will remember these stories and smile!
