A
population of more than a billion, but still a huge chunk of India suffers from
illiteracy. Men, women and children are all affected. This disease has led to
poverty, strife and backwardness for the affected. People have lost job
opportunities as well as independence. Children have been robbed of a future
and women have lost the means of a career and independence. Similarly
illiterate men could not get any decent job opportunities that would satisfy
their families and have to work for lesser wages when they could have been
better placed.
After
seeing the consequences it is evident that society has lost a lot when they are
deprived of a formal education. Even after knowing the after effects why have
parents restrained their child from learning to read and write? Why are the
majority of women in the poverty stricken families or villages illiterate? Well
the answer for this question lies in the fact that many of these families are
poor and cannot afford a proper education for their children. Whereas some poor
families have more than two children. So many mouths to feed, but less resources
hampers the prospect of education of the children. On the other hand women of
the lower class have been brought up with a narrow mindset. They believe that
women are not entitled to an education and they are slaves to their husbands
and society. Such a frame of mind has led to dowry murders or harassments as
well as deprives an ambitious woman of a chance to excel.
There
are many NGO’s as well as government organizations that work towards educating
the underprivileged. Mission Heal is an NGO based in Delhi that has dedicated
its resources towards eradicating illiteracy from the society. This huge organization
has mobilized its groups to reach its helping hand farther. Mission Heal has no
political or religious agendas thus helping all people unbiasedly.
Mission Heal has organized many events
to help educate the poor. A free health camp is organized to monitor the health
of the poor. Also books and clothes are donated frequently for the poor
children. Mid-day meals are provided by Mission Heal, for nourishing the people
who cannot afford a square meal. Mission Heal also provoked the right to free
education for the lower classes. All these are attempts to make the children
and the families broaden their vision and embrace the art of learning. These
free camps aim at affiliating a child towards education.
Various government plans have also been
sanctioned for this cause. The RTE (Right to Education) validated this. This law
has enabled the poor students to take up education without the fear of the
cost. The cost of the child’s education is burdened by the state and central
government. This shows that the government and the NGO’s have joined the cause
for the common good. So why don’t we also come together to help the MissionHeal achieve its goals? After all literacy and education are the only secrets
that can take this country to greater heights.
