Many school going children in Pokhrad village are no different from Neelam – but this was not so in the past. Previously, sending children to school especially girls was never a priority but World Vision’s presence changed that.
It’s the second class of the day, the teacher asked for a volunteer to read a lesson from the Hindi prose book and up went the hand of eighteen-year-old Neelam, always responsive and always there to look out for a solution. And no wonder, when her classmates stayed away from school – this girl was there to show them the way back to school.
Today, literacy rate has seen a jump and new school furniture including chairs and desks given by World Vision have already replaced old mats. 'We felt that children need proper infrastructure to sit and enjoy reading, writing and listening in the classroom', said Ashish Masih, Programme Manager, Girideep ADP.
While many of her classmates often missed school in rainy and winter season, come rain or shine, Neelam and her friends have withstood the test of all seasons by attending school sitting on wet or cold ground.
The chairs and desks are therefore an answer to the prayers of many here. The feel-new factor was an inspiring attraction that persuaded children to stay and enjoy coming to school. 'This is the first time in the history of the school that our children will sit on chairs and desks'. In its letter of appreciation, the school administration is thankful to Girideep ADP for bringing change at the school level and making education setup, more interesting and truly benefiting children like Neelam.
Neelam organized her snow-white ribbon to fix her hair and talked about her frustration to get some of her friends back into school obviously proving that school dropout is an issue in these villages. 'I do my best to persuade them and I get disappointed when their response is negative', says Neelam, who never stops trying.
Now, Neelam is one of the aspiring students of a government inter college, studying in standard twelve. 'I have strong desire to pursue higher education', she said. Neelam speaks in Hindi 'Paroge toe baroge' which means 'We study, we become some body'.
In her village, this girl motivator is an asset and a natural educator too. World Vision’s investment in education all these years has yielded results like Neelam’s life so much so that this village has regarded education as prime importance and lifestyle.
World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organisation working to create lasting change in the lives of children, families and communities living in poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, caste, race, ethnicity or gender.
