A picture speaks louder than the words...

“We had never thought that we could dream of a better future but now our girls are not only seeing the dreams but are also determined to achieve those.”

Last month we celebrated our 10th Foundation Day. Our friends, supporters, family members came to Jalgaon to be part of the celebrations. We started the day by visiting Anandghar where people got an opportunity to meet and spend some really quality time with the children and community members as well.
We had also planned an event in the evening. There were chief guests, performances by children. But we thought that rather than talking about the impact of Anandghar let's ask our parents and children about what they think.
Two ladies sitting on the stage as panelists are Asha Tai and Lata Tai. One of them works as a rag picker and the other sells fish in the community. One of them is also a proud single mother of 2 children. What binds them together is their unparalleled commitment towards letting their daughter’s study rather than putting them to work. These ladies are willing to sacrifice everything to see their girls go to schools.

When asked about what do you think is the impact of Anandghar, they said “We had never thought that we can dream of a better future but now our girls are not only seeing the dream but are also determined to achieve those.”

What else do you need as an Educator?  We at Vardhishnu believe that our role is to give them a fair chance to take control of their life, to make people independent.
They were proud, they were confident, they were happy to be respected and sit on a dais and talk about their life journey and experiences.

“People come and give speeches to us. They want us only as a part of the crowd but nobody is willing to listen to what we have to say. We like to send our children Anandghar, we like to be part of the spaces because you all listen to us. Because our opinion matters here.”

Is it so hard to create an inclusive society? No, it is not if we all are willing to work towards it. Just take a pause and turn the dais to the other side. Be a mindful listener and you will realize the burden of assumptions, biases you are holding on for so long about the people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. They might have never been to the schools but their wisdom comes from the hardships they have faced in life. They have a lot to say, they have a lot to offer. It's just up to us to ask ourselves if we are ready to listen?

They say a picture speaks louder than the words…This picture should be loud enough to tell each and every one of us to come together to redefine the social structures in which we all live. To build a society where everyone has equal rights, opportunity not only to grow but to prosper.