School life in rural India
September 2024
As we head into September, many of us prepare for a return to school, routines and structure. Families begin their day with a walk or drive to school, bus drop-offs, and frantic morning routines. There is the stress of wake-up, lunch-prep, and sometimes late arrival until we get the timing right.
We rarely wake up and face a decision on if our kids can venture out due to the route being too treacherous, or even non-existent today. This is a daily occurrence for parents of school-age children in rural Indian communities during the rainy season which runs from June to September.
As Mariam Society sponsored students Nikita, Priya, and Akanksha headed back to school in the month of August, the monsoon season was at its peak. Rain-soaked fields, muddy pathways, and flooded rivers are commonplace in rural Maharashtra during this time. Roads turn into slippery mud traps, rendering bicycles and buses useless.
Some days are better.
When rains are lighter, the girls can cycle to a local bus-station, and if the bus is running, can make it to their school in the town of Bandhara.
Oftentimes en-route, the girls discover the local bridge has flooded, requiring them to turn around and return home for a day of independent study.
Mariam Society's education scholarships help students
through the difficult monsoon months
Hybrid Models that Help
Despite these harsh conditions, our schoolgirls remained determined.
During one of the worst rainy seasons in years, our students maintained pace with their studies. They adapted as they did during the COVID-19 pandemic, and continued their work through in-home peer study-groups. Schools also played their part by setting-up WhatsApp groups to share assignments and study materials, ensuring our students could stay on track.
This model was especially important for grade 10 and 12 students, when final exam marks are critical for advancement to post-secondary studies. In addition to these study-groups, tutoring classes that supplement in-class and online study helped to bolster their learning comprehension, and better prepare them for in-year exams.
During extended periods at home many students took the opportunity to help out with family life. Prerana, for example, spent her time assisting her mother with household chores, teaching her younger siblings their lessons during the long days, and even learning new cooking skills.
Your Funds at Work
Each year, the Mariam Society's education scholarships help our sponsored students through the difficult monsoon months by providing;
additional private coaching and tutoring sessions to help keep up with school work during prolonged periods of remote learning
raincoats, umbrellas & rubber shoes, an expense most cannot afford
unforeseen transportation costs
JOINING OUR COMMUNITY OF MONTHLY DONORS
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