At our doorstep, stood a lean figure of a woman panting for help. She cried out in her shivery voice, `I have come to be made aware that your organisation provides free education, humbly request you to enrol my daughter.” Upon hearing this I called them in. This lady appeared to be in casual attire, with no jewellery, no makeup on but had a big smile on her face. The hard work she did was showcased on her.
This lady then began to
tell us about her struggling life. “Her father is no more”, she said, “I am the
sole earning member of the family. I do brocade work, alongside day labouring
to run the poor household and feed the five children I have. I work hard day
and night to fill the void of their father. This is how I handle the
responsibility of all of them. I act like both, a mother and a father to my
children.” The sole reason that this lady came to me was to get her daughter
educated here at our organisation- Bharti Sangraha. Every word that she spoke
out was filled with self-respect and self-reliance. Her anxious but sorrowful
tone showed how dedicated and hard-working she was. The sudden demise of her husband
and her poor financial conditions shattered her into pieces, but she decided
not to let that affect her children’s future. And here she was a living proof
of courage by battling her hardships, boldly, each day. To reach our
organisation she covered about four to five kilometres on foot with the belief
that her prayers would be answered. That one ray of hope she saw in me made her
overcome so many obstacles to come here. It felt as if she had discovered a way
to overcome one of her worries.
She would be relieved if
her daughter would not have to go through the same stressful life as hers, she
did not want her to suffer from illiteracy. She wished that her daughter would
receive a good quality of education and live a better life. And her face
depicted that it was like a dream come true moment for her to have found me.
“I don’t want my
daughter, Rupali, to struggle the way I did”, she said, pointing to a girl with
a bright and cheerful face standing behind her. One could tell how excited and
happy she was, just by looking at her face.
“Rupali, how would you
travel to reach here every day?” I asked her daughter. She came in front and
answered in a confident tone- “I will set out on foot with my friends”.
This one phrase spoken by
her convinced me that she had the willingness and dedication to study. She did
not hesitate or have second thoughts, instead stood firm on her grounds. She
was just looking for an opportunity to grow ahead in life. And she was all set
to devote herself in the process. What else could have I asked for?
Immediately from the
following day, she arrived at my place right on time, not a minute late even
though she was travelling about three miles back and forth, on foot. Scorching
summers, freezing cold winters and drenching monsoons, nothing was able to
shake her strong willpower and determination.
Her hard work did pay off, she passed standard 12 with flying colours. She emerged as the highest scorer amongst all the students of Bharti Sangrahita. Blessed is that hard working mother whose daughter Rupali, made her proud by working diligently, giving her one hundred percent to her studies. She never backed off an inch and kept persevering to climb the first step in the ladder of success. We at Bharti Sangrahita wish them all success in their life ahead.
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