Sisters teach poor kids on footpath

Harshraj Sinhg

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 14

To encourage children from poor families to study, two sisters are providing them with free classes on the footpath of Hambran Road here. In the absence of a room, an open-air class of around 12 students between four and 16 years of age is held on the footpath near the School for the Deaf Children daily.

The parents of most of these children can’t afford to send them to school. A few students were forced to drop out of the school due to poverty.

Priya Suri and her sister Purti, both MCom, provide them basic education during one-hour class from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm daily.

Priya (48), from South City, said: “It was our wish to teach such students who are not going to school for various reasons. Finally, I, along with my sister, started providing basic education to these children around two months ago. Our objective is to encourage them to stay away from evils as education is the way to success. We want to see these children stand on their feet.”

“We are teaching them the basics of English, maths and Hindi. These students told us that they wanted to go to school. With this basic education, they will understand how to live their life in a better way. I want they do not beg or chew tobacco,” said Priya, who is also running an accounts institute in the city.

One of the students sitting on sacks, Priyanka, said: “As I want to study and learn, I attend this class. I have learnt counting and many more things. I enjoy studying.”