During a visit to the community, Aamna, a volunteer, noticed Muskaan playing with her friends. Through an interaction with the children, she learnt that Muskaan was not attending school. Curious and concerned, Aamna spoke with Muskaan at length to understand why. Muskaan spoke a little, but it was her friends who jumped up to share the details.
Muskaan’s parents worked as helpers in a factory, unable to afford their child’s education. Aamna was determined to meet with her parents and find a solution.
Aamna visited Muskaan’s home at the Tulsi Nagar community in Delhi to meet with her mother, Aafreen. Unfortunately, Aafreen was away at work. Two days later, she went over to their home again, and fortunately met with Aafreen. “We want our Muskaan to study and get enrolled in school, but our frequent visits between Delhi and our village in Bihar have been challenging owing to her staying out of school!” justified Aafreen.
“Formal education is critical for your daughter’s future,” reiterated Aamna. “She will faces further challenges if she doesn’t go to school. Without learning, social interactions, skill building, she will never become independent and wallow in this cycle of poverty. Your daughter deserves a chance at life! Let me help you enrol her into school,” said Aamna convincingly.
A few weeks later, Aamna arranged a visit to the local neighbourhood school and introduced Muskaan’s mother to the admission in-charge. As luck had it, the admission process had closed a few months ago. Undeterred, Aamna requested a special consideration, emphasizing the family’s willingness to prioritize Muskaan’s education.
Recognizing their keen determination for Muskaan’s education, the admission in-charge granted permission for Muskaan’s admission.
Another hurdle in Muskaan’s admission process was the lack of necessary documents available to her family. With Aafreen’s consent, an affidavit was prepared which served as proof of Muskaan’s identity and age, facilitating her admission into the 5th grade.
Muskaan completed her 5th-grade and graduated to the 6th grade with much ease.
Her parents could not contain their excitement and expressed their heartfelt gratitude to our team Coordinator and Aamna for their timely intervention and the school for enabling their daughter’s education journey.
Muskaan’s story is one of many that illustrates the many challenges faced by children from vulnerable communities in accessing education. Through the combined efforts of a community volunteer, Muskaan’s parents, and school authorities, she was able to enroll into school and embark on her learning journey, impacting her life positively.
