Children Urge for Help in India as Education Transforms Their Lives

The Life of Prathibha

“I thought that teaching people would be giving the gift of a lifetime”

Prathibha is a teacher in India with a mission to help the children in a village located deep in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Long, unpaved dirt roads and the possibility of encounters with dangerous animals such as elephants and tigers are some of the challenges that Prathibha faces every day on her way to work.

When she arrived at the village in 2008, there was no electricity, nor did the children receive a quality education. Although the initial planning was that she would stay for six months, Prathibha is still there, continuing to help children willing to learn, children, who were waiting for someone like Prathibha to help.

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is only one of the many villages affected by the lack of educational resources. India has one of the lowest internet accessibility rates globally. With the COVID-19 pandemic, 320 million learners were affected due to the online transition. Save the Children works to help the most vulnerable children through education programs creating lasting and life-changing results.

The Gift of a Lifetime — How Prathibha is Saving Education

While sitting on a curb made of brick, Prathibha watched Badichi, a tribal matriarch with seven children, cleaning some greens. Badichi had little education. However, she dreamed of seeing her children going to school.

Badichi worked as a housemaid to pay for her children’s education. Understanding the importance of education for the community and the children's lives, Badichi decided to join and help Prathibha in her cause. Together they were essential for the children and the village.

One day, Badichi sat next to one of the children proudly as the child read her a story. “I am educating all my family so no child of mine will suffer as I have,” she said. Both Badichi and Prathibha, through support from others in the community, developed a petition to the local government to install a primary school, roads, and electricity in the village, so not only Badichi’s daughter obtains an education, but all the children in the village gain educational opportunities.

Vasanthi speaks three languages and has enrolled to become a nurse with the intention to work in a nearby hospital.

Some of the students have become role models in the village. They taught Prathibha the local language in return for Prathibha’s favor of helping the village. “I thought that teaching people would be giving the gift of a lifetime,” Prathibha said.

Other students have continued pursuing more education and even a career like Vasanthi, who speaks three languages and is training to become a nurse with the intention to work in a nearby hospital.

Your Call to Help

Climate change has brought changes in rainfall levels and led to a decrease in the area of the natural forest in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, impacting people, flora, and fauna. It is essential to educate the children to make better decisions in preserving the village, in turn, building a better future for all.

Many children in India are getting behind as COVID-19 continues to impact the education system. Child labor has increased due to the school shutdown. Sadly, many children will not return to the classroom.

Prathibha’s story is just one of many in India. Children in need of help are not only at Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Many children in India need help now; however, not many people are willing to help. For this reason, organizations such as Save the Children are so important to ensure that children's needs are met and their voices are heard.

Save the Children believes that every child deserves a future. Every child should be treated equally and have the same rights and opportunities. Donate now to ensure that the children in communities like Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve receive equal treatment and opportunities.