Saurabh Chandra

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When Mamta Nishad reached Class 8, she wanted
to continue studying. But Mawaiya Uparhar does not have a high school, and the people in this village in Chaka block of Allahabad district in Uttar Pradesh usually
do not send girls to schools that are far away.
 Mamta spoke to her teachers at the Poorva
Madhyamik Vidyalaya. She told them about her ambition to study further.
Together, they came up with the idea of a procession – accompanied by the
beating of drums – that would go around the village and halt at various houses that
have children in school, especially
girls. They would recite poetry and sing songs, and the teachers would publicly
urge parents to send their children to school and let them continue studying after
Class 8.
 
 The school principal,
Usha Rani Srivastava, the primary force in executing this idea, also participated in the procession, as did
 
 gram sabha
 
 member Ganga Prasad, and other school children and teachers. The procession was led by Mamta. It halted at her house too. Eventually, her parents Prem Chandra Nishad and Ram Rati Devi, and
her elder brothers, agreed to support her academic plans.
 
 But how were the fees and distance to be
covered? Mamta’s teachers trained her for a district-level scholarship exam. Balancing
her daily chores and regular schooling, she worked hard for the exam, and was
selected for state-sponsored residential schooling at the Mahamaya Rajkiya
Ashram Paddhati Balika Inter College, Kaurihar, Allahabad, around 40 kilometres
from Mawaiya Uparhar. Mamta
is now is the first girl from her village studying in Class 9.
 
 The procession has become a regular bi-monthly or monthly event in Mawaiya Uparhar, Mawaiya Gadraan Mawaiya Kachhar and Mawaiya Tikuri – the children of these four villages go to the Poorva Madhyamik Vidyalaya.  Mamta has become a role model for other girls and students of these villages. The
teachers say that school attendance has improved and the attitudes of parents have
started to shift in favour of educating girls. When she visits home, Mamta is
called to the Vidyalaya to speak of her experiences at the new school and of life
outside the village.
 
 A change that was not possible for years has been
set in motion by a spirited procession led by a school girl.

Bringing them to school singing and drumming

গান, কবিতা আর ড্রাম সহযোগে স্কুলে হাজিরার পদযাত্রা

گانا اور باجے کے ساتھ انھیں اسکول لانا

Mawaiya Uparhar

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Bringing them to school singing and drumming

In Mawaiya Uparhar village in Uttar Pradesh, a student-led procession to promote the education of girls gave Mamta Nishad a chance to study further

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