Three siblings enter the classroom for the first time!

Jeetu, a resident of a remote village in Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, faced financial struggles as a labourer, prompting him to migrate to Maharashtra in 2011 for better opportunities. His daughter, Rohini*, was born amidst their challenging life. Busy with work, Jeetu never considered enrolling Rohini in school, and she grew up on multiple construction sites with her parents.

As time passed, Rohini’s younger siblings, Rama* and Hemant*, were born. As the eldest, Rohini assumed the responsibility of caring for her siblings. Their lives revolved around the construction site, and they helped their parents with their laborious work, unaware of the existence of schools.

In February 2023, Gokul an Educate Girls’ Field Coordinator came across Rohini’s family visiting the village for holidays. Gokul was conducting a door-to-door survey to identify girls who were not going to school and was accompanied by Educate Girls’ Team Balika volunteer. 

He met Rohini’s father and asked him if there were any children in his house who were not enrolled in school. Jeetu did not reply to this question and kept the remaining questions unanswered. Gokul found this strange and started collecting more information to convince him to send his children to school. He attempted to contact Jeetu again, only to find that the family had returned to Maharashtra.

Undeterred, Gokul persisted, obtaining Jeetu’s contact information from his father. He called multiple times and finally after a two-month effort he could have a conversation with him. Jeetu explained that they needed Rohini’s help caring for her younger siblings while he and his wife worked as labourers.

Gokul suggested leaving the children with their grandparents in the village, allowing them to study. He highlighted free education, the mid-day meal program, and the potential for a different career path through education. This idea, previously unexplored by Jeetu, resonated with him.

Upon returning to the village, Jeetu with the help of Educate Girls enrolled Rohini in Class 3 and Rama and Hemant in Class 1!

*Name changed to protect the identity of the minor.