By Express News Service
KOLKATA: Sahebdanga, a tribal inhabited village in Bolpur, Birbhum is on a celebration made as four girls from the poverty-stricken hamlet returned from schools with their Class X board examination scorecard.
The four girls are the first among women in the village who have passed the Class X examination facing all odds and hardships.
Basanti Tudu, Latika Murmu, Meeru Hansda and Sumitra Tudu have set up an example of determination. All of them met a common plight in their childhood. They lost their father and reality dragged them into the field full of odds and hardships. They had to join their mothers to work as daily wage earners.
“It was a very tough situation. After working throughout the day as a daily labourer, I used to sit with textbooks. I used to feel sleepy because of tiredness but my determination to touch the goal of qualifying Class X examination would keep me awake. No girl in our village appeared in the Class X board examination before,” recounted Latika, who studied in Bolpur Paruldanga Shikshaniketan.
The total literacy rate of Bolpur Sriniketan Block, where Latika’s village is located, is 70.67 per cent and the female literacy rate is 56.55 per cent.
Basanti, Meeru and Sumitra faced the same plight that Latika did.
“The nearest high school is four km from our village without having any public transport facility. On the way to school, we had to cross three fields where no tree was available for offering us a shed during summer or monsoon. But all my pain has been evaporated the moment I found my name in the list of successful candidates who appeared in this year’s Madhyamik or Class X board exam,” said Meeru.
Basanti’s mother Lakhhi Tudu, who works as a daily labourer, said none of her family studied before. “We could not even imagine appearing in the Class X examination. My daughter defeated all hardships and her willpower won,” she said.
The four teenagers said they would encourage other girls in the village to pursue their education. “Many leaves education midway because of poverty. We will make them understand why completing education is important. We will help them in every possible way so that no one stops going to school,” said Sumitra.
Recently, a welfare organisation, Radhamohan Foundation, adopted the village for its development. “The village is lacking basic facilities. The success of four girls is definitely an example in front others,” Budhhishwar Mondal, a member of the organisation.
KOLKATA: Sahebdanga, a tribal inhabited village in Bolpur, Birbhum is on a celebration made as four girls from the poverty-stricken hamlet returned from schools with their Class X board examination scorecard.
The four girls are the first among women in the village who have passed the Class X examination facing all odds and hardships.
Basanti Tudu, Latika Murmu, Meeru Hansda and Sumitra Tudu have set up an example of determination. All of them met a common plight in their childhood. They lost their father and reality dragged them into the field full of odds and hardships. They had to join their mothers to work as daily wage earners. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“It was a very tough situation. After working throughout the day as a daily labourer, I used to sit with textbooks. I used to feel sleepy because of tiredness but my determination to touch the goal of qualifying Class X examination would keep me awake. No girl in our village appeared in the Class X board examination before,” recounted Latika, who studied in Bolpur Paruldanga Shikshaniketan.
The total literacy rate of Bolpur Sriniketan Block, where Latika’s village is located, is 70.67 per cent and the female literacy rate is 56.55 per cent.
Basanti, Meeru and Sumitra faced the same plight that Latika did.
“The nearest high school is four km from our village without having any public transport facility. On the way to school, we had to cross three fields where no tree was available for offering us a shed during summer or monsoon. But all my pain has been evaporated the moment I found my name in the list of successful candidates who appeared in this year’s Madhyamik or Class X board exam,” said Meeru.
Basanti’s mother Lakhhi Tudu, who works as a daily labourer, said none of her family studied before. “We could not even imagine appearing in the Class X examination. My daughter defeated all hardships and her willpower won,” she said.
The four teenagers said they would encourage other girls in the village to pursue their education. “Many leaves education midway because of poverty. We will make them understand why completing education is important. We will help them in every possible way so that no one stops going to school,” said Sumitra.
Recently, a welfare organisation, Radhamohan Foundation, adopted the village for its development. “The village is lacking basic facilities. The success of four girls is definitely an example in front others,” Budhhishwar Mondal, a member of the organisation.
