They Say ‘Family Comes First’, Here’s One Family As a Living

It is often said that 'Home is a child’s first school and parents are their first teachers.'

The environment of the family which includes all primary caregivers is the foundation of a child’s growth and well-being. As children grow, their dependence on parents may reduce but the parental influence remains on some level. In the current age of disruption, owing to the pandemic, parenting is of great significance.

Nishant (14 years), a shy and soft-spoken boy, is in 9th standard. He comes from a joint family and lives with his uncles, aunts, and other family members. Being a close-knit group, the adults, including men and women, are supportive of each other, sharing household chores and other work. The family always prays for the best of each other's interests.

However, during the pandemic, the family faced various challenges. There was extra work at home and the children were expected to help out. There was only little the adults in the family could do.

This ended up creating a gap in his education as he would miss school or not concentrate during online classes. This started reflecting in his exams in the form of poor marks, and his family was worried. Immediately, they started looking for a solution where their child could study with no distractions and expand his knowledge. Being the youngest member in his family, Nishant was helped and guided by each member at home.

Soon they came across the Bharat-e-Shiksha program, in the district of Nagpur, Maharashtra. Nishant joined and began attending regular classes. Today, he is back on track with his studies and has even developed new interests.

He says, “My favourite subject is Math. It is very interesting and fun to do. During the pandemic, I missed out on many lessons and could not understand many concepts. But, here I can clear my doubts directly from educators and improve myself.

Nishant, at such a young age, aspires to contribute to society and educate himself more. He wishes to provide a better life for his family and continue supporting them.