Education: Achieving their dreams against the odds in India

Nanuram’s humble home is in the middle of a cornfield in India, ripe for harvest. He and his wife Sughna continue to farm this land just as his parents had done for decades.

His parents were illiterate farmers, but sent Nanuram to school and gave him all the support they could.

A World Vision India volunteer from 2012 to 2015, Nanuram has worked with the organisation in various capacities. He attended Training of Trainers for Life Skills Education for Transformation (LSET) and also worked as a teacher at a coaching centre run by World Vision India for a year.

When I was growing up, we were very poor. I didn't want that life. So my dream was to get a government job. Education and hard work were the only way.

In 2018, Nanuram realised his dream when he was appointed as a teacher at a government primary school. Today, he teaches in a school around 30 kilometres from his village.

The road has been difficult, and his family had to overcome hurdles on the way. After graduation, Nanuram wanted to pursue a Bachelor of Education - a specialised and mandatory two-year course to be eligible for any government teaching job.

"I had no money for the admission. It was expensive and I couldn't afford it. World Vision India paid for my first admission. I'm very grateful for that support," he tells us.

After completing the course, he was appointed as a teacher. “I received a lot of exposure … from working with World Vision. I’m grateful for all the help."

Nanuram and Sughna have set high standards for their two children - and their community - to follow. Sughna also graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree, just like her husband.

They are the first couple from their village to complete graduation.

"We both wanted to study, but we didn't have money. So we did it one after another. When I studied, my husband worked and supported me. Then later, he completed," Sughna, who is also a World Vision India volunteer, says.

Nanuram and Sughna have no dreams of quitting farming. It is something they have inherited and they love it. The only change is their expectation of their children.

"So many things have changed since World Vision came here. The most visible is that malnutrition has decreased considerably," says Nanuram.

Their son, Govind, is eight years old and in the 3rd standard, and their daughter, Rudrakshi, is just two years old.

Standing under the covers of the cornfield, Nanuram teaches his son to harvest ripe corn, just like his father taught him.

He also helps his son with lesson plans and his studies, which was something his father couldn't do for him.

"My parents were farmers and didn't go to school. Still, I'm the only second government teacher from my village. My children can achieve much more than we have with all the facilities they get," Nanuram says, determined.

Nanuram and Sughna overcame poverty and achieved their dreams, against all odds.

By Jim Wungramyao Kasom.

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