No change to spare.
I was travelling to my home-town one morning, a 4 hour long drive from my workplace, cruising my car along the highway. After an hour’s drive, I pulled down by a road-side juice vendor to take a refreshment break. As the vendor, an old and frail looking villager, crushed the fruits in his mixer, I reached out to my wallet to make the payment. The juice was 40 rupees. I had four notes of 500 denomination. Cutting a sorry figure, the vendor shook his head denying any possibility of having a change and subsequently I scanned nearby vendors and truck drivers resting by the highway, but none of them had the required change. I returned to the old-man who was ready with a glass full of juice in his hand. Sensing the look on my face, with a nonchalant tone and with his hand stuck out, he asked to me take that glass of juice and told that I could pay later. I refused initially, but the man insisted with a weary smile, further reinforcing his argument by saying that several truck drivers owe him and that selling on credit is a part of his small business. I accepted his offer, but in return offered him a 500 rupee note, promising him to take the change on my way back. He politely refused the same.
Cut short, I have been moved by numerous such gestures from people who are not as fortunate as I am when it comes to the necessities of life.
I believe I will not be alone when I say that I had numerous such heart melting experiences with people from a relatively poor financial and social background barely meeting the ends through their jobs and small businesses. Fixating on such experiences, I have come to realise that one way by which these less fortunate people can be pulled out of their struggling lives is to make their children capable enough for the world out there. Quality education is one crucial step in that direction, and I believe opportunities make themselves available to those who are fortunate to have quality education.
To that end, I have tried every bit in my capacity so far in teaching poor children of primary and secondary school, living around my neighbourhood even when I was myself in a secondary grade. More than the satisfaction that teaching gave me to see the kids learn basic Maths, English and Science, it made me content because a voice inside me assured that someday they will grab the opportunities on their own and make the most out of it. To fight the education inequity at the forefront, I applied to “Teach for India” fellowship in 2019 and qualified for its Stage 1, however, I could not make it to the final selection.
Nevertheless, to give complete meaning to an aspiration of mine of where India produces kids with equally good quality education irrespective of how unequal other factors remain, I dream of an organization, spread in every nook and corner of the country, where all the less fortunate ones will ride on the road to become at least as fortunate as I had been in my life.
What can you think of to make education more equitable? Do share in the comments.
