Madhabi Rabidas, 52, had to quit school after Class VIII because she got married. A few years later, the resident of Laskarpur in Murshidabad, about 50km from the district headquarters in Behrampore, started rolling bidis. She would get Rs 60 for rolling 1,500 bidis in a day. But the mother of four decided to educate her children. Now, two of her children are teachers in government schools, one is studying medicine and the fourth is doing her masters.
This month, Laskarpur High School in Lalgola felicitated Rabidas and a few other women in the village who could be an example for mothers who are struggling to get their children educated. The mothers of many children in the school had to quit studies because of financial constraints and family responsibilities.
“By felicitating these women in our village, we want to inspire the mothers of our children that their efforts and struggle will yield results one day. They should not give up in the face of odds,” said headmaster Mohammad Jahangir Alam. Mothers of students in the school start nurturing aspirations when these women speak to them and they become confident that they will emerge triumphant despite their everyday struggles, Alam said.
Some of the other women who were honoured Sourced by The Telegraph
Such interactions have gained more importance during the pandemic, which saw a rise in the number of girls dropping out of school and being married off.
At the felicitation, Rabidas recalled days when she would stay awake through the night shielding her children from storms. “Since the roof was of tin and tiles, there was always a fear of it being blown away,” she said. She would roll bidis from 7am to 11pm and then find time to do household chores. Rabidas did not want her children to have such a life. “I always thought why should only children of teachers or doctors join such professions. Why can’t our children become teachers and doctors?”
Rabidas no longer rolls bidis and she lives in a pucca house now. Her two elder children helped her rebuild the house. She now works as a cook, earning more than she ever has. “Two of my children are yet to settle down and I am waiting for that,” she said.
The son of another award recipient, Sukhia Khatoon, works in a court in Nadia’s Krishnagar. “There were times when I could not pay my son’s tuition fees or buy his books,” said Khatoon, who studied till higher secondary. The children of some of the other felicitated women are doing PhDs. These women believed education could be the ticket to a better life and fought on.
The school also felicitated 16 mothers whose children ranked first in class. “With the kind of background many of our children come from, it would have been difficult for them to continue their studies if their mothers had not supported them,” said Alam. Many of the mothers may not be able to help them with their studies, but they can provide the support to ensure the children go to schools.