Paradise regained: a story of Sandhya….
“Ab mai puri padhayi karungi” Now I am in a position to complete my education. Sandhya whispered during her first day of Bridge Education Centre, Muralia village of Bisfi Block of Madhubani district.
Sandhya Kumari is the youngest among four daughters and one son of Mr. Hairan Ram of Ward No. 12, Parsauni Panchayat, Bisfi block of Madhubani district. Her father is a daily wage labourer and used to work in the vicinity of the village which is not enough for the family. He arranged the marriage of the 03 daughters in a very young age and the only son who is also below 14 years of age, used to migrate to metro cities with his friends and work as daily wager there. Her youngest sister who is married and works in metro city as a domestic worker took Sandhya with her and she also used to help in day-to-day work with her youngest sister.
When a Bridge Education Centre (BEC) was inaugurated in their ward, the teacher who was appointed to impart the education to the children started contacting families in a campaign mode to their doors and requested all families to send their wards for continuing their studies. During communication with Sandhya’s mother, she came to know that Sandhya has already completed 3rd Standard in the school but dropped out and gone to Delhi to help her sister for meagre amount of money. The Bridge Education Centre (BEC) teacher convinced her mother to call Sandhya to the village and promised her mother for all sort of help for continuing her studies. PCTB block coordinator and the teacher used to remind her parents at regular intervals for calling her back to village.
At last, they succeeded in their efforts and Sandhya came back to her family. When she came back to the village, she was severely ill but her mother informed the teacher that she wanted to join the bridge education center. When she got normal, she contacted the teacher, she was taken to school, she received her transfer certificate, contacted headmaster of high school for admission of the girl, but due to completion of the session, headmaster requested the teacher to contact for new session. Sandhya got disappointed a bit but the teacher convinced her to continue her studies in the Bridge Education Center (BEC).
Presently, Sandhya is studying in the center with full zeal and regularly attending the center. Whenever block coordinator of the PCTB project meets her and her family, a glimpse of the happiness is clearly visible on her face