What is hope?

To be able to see the light in the darkest of nights.

Their lives have seen so much darkness that a ray of light seems to be blindingly fascinating. They had no idea that they deserved so much more than what they thought was good enough. One would wonder how. That’s the kind of hope I am talking about. A ray of hope can change your life inside out and bring so much more than the so called normal. They don’t just need to hope for something better but rather work really hard to keep hoping for it till they get it. To keep the faith and trust in your own capabilities is a bit too much to ask from them. Who are these people I am talking about? Why is life so tough for them? Why do they need to do the impossible to survive?

Our students are the ones I am talking about and they are expected to be the brave hearts on each and everyday of their lives. Getting to school is one of the many challenges they face, which we assume is the birthright of every child in this country. One would wonder what’s the big deal about it. The challenge is to choose between cooking a meal for your siblings or walking hungry to school. The choice is between going to school or helping the father build a bungalow next to their ‘jhuggis’. Once the bungalow is built they shift base to the next site for making another bungalow. Now the next question is if the child goes to school who will look after the two younger siblings. The burden of choices keeps multiplying everyday with no respite whatsoever from the parents. These children are expected to make these choices on a daily basis in order to make their childhood fruitful, the onus of which lies entirely on their tender shoulders. How they survive this anyway? It’s hope after all.

People like me and you are the ones who are responsible for making them believe that they too can have dreams and fulfil them. One just needs to believe in their dreams and envision it with them. It’s just a few miles away.