By- Brij Pal Singh

During my last six months stay in India, I had an opportunity to study with open mind the need of the people in my late mother’s village located between Gulaothi (Distt.: Bulandshahr) and Hapur in Uttar Pradesh in India. With my experience, I am convinced that, ignorance is the mother of many problems in the society both in the villages and cities. Good habits development and related education is a highly neglected area. Even our seniors and retired people having the experience of life are ignorant of their strength and the great need of their contribution in the society. Our seniors may not contribute in some areas having more physical work, but they can certainly contribute in some important areas like character building, good habits development in our children and youth and in helping the needy. Our seniors know with their experience, how to be successful in life with limited means and resources. Our seniors can surely guide and encourage the children and youth and they can enjoy doing that by giving sometime.In most cases, everybody knows that a child good in mathematics at primary level will keep on doing well in further education and our seniors can easily teach at least primary school level mathematics to the needy children in the society, may be in the village or city in India or Australia. If not doing so, let us start doing this for the needy and experience the inner satisfaction and happiness.

Coming back to my small but important project in my mother’s village, I had a meeting of about fifty school going children and discussed with them about their time table after the school. Here my 20 years experience and knowledge of working with children, gained fromVishva Hindu Parishad of Australia Inc. and HSS Children and Youth Camps, was very helpful. Ignorant but hard working farmer parents are spending Rupees 4500 per month for a child on their private school education. During the meeting, it was informed that the children come back home in a school bus from the school at 2.30 pm and after that majority of them do not give time for home study and they waste time in their hand in other less important things. In their ignorant parent’s opinion, only their children’s going to school in a school bus and coming back and paying Rupees 4500 per month to school is enough for their educational success. Due to their ignorance, they are not asking the child effectively that doing home work and studying at home is equally important to succeed.Parents care more about child’s entertainment and less about his need for his/her mental, physical development and development of good habits. In the absence of the proper direction to these needy children, we can understand how a big amount of hard earned money of a farmer and others in the village is being wasted. Time is passing by and there is no help from any source in this area. What an irreparable and great loss in the area of human resources development and waste of money!

During this first meeting with children, looking to the situation, I suggested them to study for 1 hour at home after coming back from school at 2.30 pm. After that they can play and do other things. Also before going to sleep at night, they should study for 1-2 hours daily. Children agreed happily to follow this and started studying at home.

Though, I was keeping in touch with them over the phone, I visited the village after a month. This time in second meeting with children, their input and efforts were very positive and encouraging with few exceptions. Their marks in fortnightly tests got improved. This time, their parents also came to meet me and mentioned about the home study of their child. I requested them to keep on asking the child to study at home for their good future. I got encouraged with the development and quick positive results and extended my stay for six months in India. During that period, I visited the village eight times and each of my visits was very satisfying. If we take one step in the right direction sincerely and honestly, God encourages and help us in taking ten steps further in the right direction. Real pleasure, satisfaction and happiness come by doing and experiencing. Unless every youth from villages and cities and everybody in the society is working, earning and contributing to the economy of the nation, the nation will not touch the ultimate height of the progress. To know further contact Brij Pal Singh, Ph: (02)9484 5204.