Life was slow and difficult in a quiet and dusty village of Chanderi in Madhya Pradesh. The families living here used to earn their living by working in the fields and believed in the traditions passed down for generations. Sakshi’s family was one of them. No one in his family studied beyond the fourth standard. For generations, for them life did not mean letters, but physical hard work. His father could not read or write and his mother Poona Bai used to work hard day and night to collect food for the next meal. Education was a distant dream for him – a luxury available only to the rich. When Sakshi was still young, crop failure and extreme poverty forced the family to take a risky decision. They left their only home and moved hundreds of kilometers away to the north, to the bustling metropolis of New Delhi. Hoping that the big city would give them a fresh start, they started living in a crowded slum near the historic Red Fort. But here a different difficulty arose. Shortly after arriving in Delhi, Sakshi’s father became seriously ill and was unable to work for years. The responsibility of livelihood completely fell on mother Poona Bai. She used to earn ten thousand rupees a month by washing utensils in homes to feed the family. Sakshi’s childhood was spent in the crowded streets of the capital without uniform, school bag and books. The classroom was out of reach for him until one afternoon in 2022 changed his fate forever. While passing through a dusty parking lot, teenager Sakshi saw a strange sight. Children were sitting in queues under the open sky. Standing in front of him was Delhi Police Head Constable Than Singh who was running a makeshift school, which is called ‘Than Singh’s School’. Sakshi stopped and started looking. Seeing her curiosity, Than Singh did something that no one had done before – he handed the book to Sakshi. On the same footpath, the man in khaki uniform taught Sakshi the alphabet for the first time. Seeing Sakshi’s dedication, he did not stop here. He also got Sakshi admitted directly into seventh class. Also got him books and other help, which he needed very much. This change was scary for Sakshi. She was several years behind her classmates and found mathematics especially difficult. The numbers seemed like a high wall to him. But he did not let the situation overpower him. In a corner of the family’s small and narrow room, where only one bulb lit, Sakshi created her own world. A plastic milk crate became his bookshelf and a flat piece of wood became his study desk. Every day after returning home, she would sit straight in the same corner and study till late night. His tireless hard work paid off. In the recent 10th board exam results, Sakshi became the first girl in the history of her family to pass this important exam. After breaking the cycle of illiteracy, Sakshi immediately returned to the same parking near the Red Fort. Now 18 year old Sakshi sits on the other side and teaches six-seven year old children as a teacher. While teaching, he also overcame his fear of mathematics. When she looks at her enthusiastic students, she sees her own childhood in them. She knows that if these children are getting the right guidance from the beginning, their future is bright. Inspired by the police officer who changed her life, Sakshi now sits at her wooden desk dreaming of a new dream: to become an IPS officer after clearing the civil services exam. The bottom line is that your current circumstances do not determine your ultimate destination. Real empowerment comes when you use your success to pave the way for those who come behind you.
Source link
N. Raghuraman’s column: With the light gained from education, we can make the path of others brighter.
