It’s that time of the year again when schools are gearing up to re-open and begin the new academic session. While some children will get worried about going back to the school, it is a blessing in disguise for many, who long for school days to be with their friends & teachers, to achieve their dreams & make parents feel proud, and to enjoy happy lunch hours.
Breaking down barriers with ‘Back to School’
“Children should work on dreams, not on fields,” isn’t it?
This National Child-Labour Day, The Akshaya Patra Foundation will commence its ‘Back to School’ campaign that is held annually from April to June. The objective of this campaign is to create awareness on the significance of continuing education and mid-day meal’s role in bringing children back to school. Let’s do our bit to fulfil the responsibility we hold as social citizens to end child labour by bringing children #BackToSchool for a new academic year.
This heart-warming story will reveal why and how the #BackToSchool campaign is significant in the lives of children. Manisha, a 12-year child is an Akshaya Patra beneficiary who has been missing her school and friends and is eagerly waiting for the vacations to get over so that she can go back to school.
Excited that the next morning will be her first day of school for a new academic year, Manisha went to bed dreaming of the possible events that can take place the following day.
Manisha woke up early at the dawn and completed all the household work from bringing water from the nearby well to cooking for her old grandfather and four young siblings (since her parents are no more). She combed her little sisters’ hair and gave some biscuits to them before they left for school.
Holding the hands of her siblings and playing the role of a mother, for she was the eldest, numerous memories flashed back as Manisha walked down the road to school. And, her sisters talked about the fun they were going to experience at school.
Manisha waved bye to her younger siblings after dropping them at the pre-primary section. Now, it was her turn to step into the new classroom, meet new friends and learn from new teachers.
The new class teacher welcomed Manisha and her friends for a fresh session and discussed about the various activities that they will be taking up in the class, this year. The teacher said, she would take us to a room full of books called “Library”, a word that Manisha had heard last year but hadn’t quite understood its exact meaning at that point leaving her curious. The teacher said, “We will learn geometry this time. We will also recite some lessons too.” “Hurray!” exclaimed the children.
Now it’s time for lunch. All the students gathered in the school lunch area. By now, Manisha was hungry too as she had given the last biscuit to her younger sister and had come to school empty stomach. She ate her school meal heartily.
After lunch time, Manisha and her friends played ‘Kho-Kho’ – a sport that needs tremendous energy. Everyone said, Manisha was the best player in this game. In the class, the teacher asked the children to draw and paint. Manisha painted a beautiful landscape with the rising sun as the backdrop of her school.
Finally, it was time to go to the ‘library’, which she had been longing to see. As she entered, Manisha could see tall shelves and cupboards – all filled with books. She picked up a picture story book. It was very interesting and she wanted to read it completely but suddenly…
The school bell rang!
And her first day of school was over.
She woke up only to find that it wasn’t the school bell rather
the sound of the siren from a nearby factory.
As another school year is fast approaching, Akshaya Patra is striving harder to send its 1.76 million children like Manisha #backtoschool. Join our Back to School campaign and support children who fight all odds just to go to school, every day.
Contribute here: https://www.akshayapatra.org/onlinedonations
