Education is an important tool that enables women and girls to participate in the decision making process that effects their lives and improving their social status. As we know, we cannot imagine the growth in our life without the education.
Under education project, we have brought a smile to the faces of girls who come from the marginalized and vulnerable section of the society. It is found that child labour is very common in the rural areas, because of illiteracy and lack of awareness. It is indeed very hard to digest narratives of young village girls being separated from their families and sent to nearby places to work and to bring in additional income to their impoverished families.
Typically, the work they get involved in is domestic in nature, earning a mere pittance – an amount for which they are often mistreated and physically abused.
Thirteen-year old Aarti Rawat’s story is no different. The financial condition of her family is grim. Aarti is a resident of Takrohi village in city block of Lucknow district. Most of the girls in her area are dropouts after 5th standard and busy with domestic chores and take care of their siblings. Her father is a daily wage laborer and the sole bread earner of the family. Aarti looks after the house when her father and mother are out of home. Aarti was eager to read and write but her family conditions did not allow her to go to school.
Members of Meena Manch from a nearby village school (UPS takrohi-1) came to know about the story of Aarti from her neighborhood friend. Members of Meena Manch along with Mr. Nasir Ali (Project coordinator, Muskaan project, Lucknow) interacted with Aarti’s family members and told them about the RTE, Act 2009. They told them that it is the right of every child to acquire free and compulsory education.
After continuous counseling, Aarti’s parents realized their mistake and decided to enroll Aarti in UPS Takrohi-1 and send Aarti to school every day. She is now interested to study more and learn English.