— David Suryavanshi
When Pragati and I reached the Beda in the morning, we saw Rekha Didi and Vibha Bhaiya packing all their belongings into their vehicle. We both wondered why they were leaving so early.
Vibha Bhaiya and Rekha Didi then explained that there was a serious shortage of fodder for the cows at the Kalamna Beda. Vibha Bhaiya shared that they were spending nearly seven thousand rupees every day on cattle feed there. At the same time, the milk production had also reduced compared to earlier. Because of these difficulties, they had to move to another place along with their young children.
Kisan and Pudu were also there. Kisan excitedly told us, “Now we have come to a village called Kuhi.” His mother shared that Kisan can now read the names of villages. He reads the village names in English and then tells everyone, “This is the name of the village.” He even reads and shares the names with his mother and the people living at the Beda.
Earlier, Kisan used to be quiet and shy, but now he speaks with confidence. He has started learning to read and write a little, and because of this, his parents have also begun to understand the importance of education. Rekha Didi said, “Now we will definitely educate our children. We are thinking of sending Kisan to school.” Hearing these words gave us immense satisfaction. The lives of these families, who constantly move from one place to another, are full of challenges. Yet, their desire for their children to study and move ahead in life felt truly inspiring.
This Beda visit became a very special experience for us. Through this visit, we realized that no matter how difficult the circumstances may be, the hope for education and dreams for a better future give people the strength to keep moving forward..