In a moment that many would describe as “coming full circle,” 61-year-old Indu Vithal Pawar walks to school hand in hand with her 94-year-old mother Housabai Chindu Kedar. The duo are students of Aajibaichi Shala in Fangane village in Maharashtra. They all smile as they walk to school.
Indu Vithal Pawar (left) and her mother Housabai Chindu Kedar (right). Image source: Krystelle Dsouza
Indu, who says she was deprived of this childhood ritual due to social norms that questioned the need for education for girls, is thrilled that she now gets to experience it with her nonagenarian mother as a classmate. And when Indu chats and giggles with the other “girls” – the average age of the class is 60 – Housabai doesn’t blame her. “My mother is deaf. “She can’t hear me talking in class,” shares cheeky Indu. Housabai’s tenacity is reflected in the class of 28 seniors who, despite their various ailments, routinely attend school every Saturday and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
It’s not a smooth ride, literally or metaphorically. I found this out myself when I traveled 113 kilometers from Mumbai to Fangane. But the beauty of the village more than makes up for the bumpy ride. Fangane is wrapped in a neat green carpet. The landscape is not dominated by any other color. But every weekend afternoon that changes. Bright pink dots begin to appear, 28 to be exact. The women in their colorful uniforms make their way to the one-room school, which is equipped with a blackboard, tables and chairs.
Housabai Chindu Kedar heads home after class. Photo credit: Krystelle Dsouza
Nobody walks alone. Some have a friend for support, others have a cane.
Where confidence is the curriculum
Most of the accounts documenting Aajibaichi Shala highlight the travels of its students. Her resilience deserves praise, but as I discovered, the only teacher, Shital Prakash More, has an equally compelling story. Shital studied up to 10th grade. Eventually she got married. But when Yogendra Bangar, the principal of Zilla Parishad School, whose brainchild Aajibaichi Shala, asked her in 2016 if she would take up the role of teacher at this unique school, she decided to challenge herself and agreed.
Shital Prakash More has been teaching at Aajibaichi Shala for a decade now. Image source: Krystelle Dsouza
“My first thought was that I could do it if these older women of this age could and wanted to study,” says Shital. In addition to teaching women on a daily basis, she pursued her own studies and subsequently completed her Bachelor of Arts. At Aajibaichi Shala, she covers the basics such as Barakhadi (the Indian alphabet), signing names, reciting poems and songs, and reading holy books. But Shital doesn’t acknowledge women’s progress. Instead, she says her progress is the result of her enthusiasm.
“Even though learning is very difficult for them, they still come to school. “Their hands are shaking, but they still try to write in the hope that one day they will be able to read and write as well as others,” she says, adding that the group, which started as a group of over 30 women, has become smaller over the years. “Two of them died, one of them lost her sight and another broke her leg.”
But those who can be there always do. Parvati Maruti Kedar (62) says she found two things at school: friends and joy. “We have so much fun when we’re together.” “We play kho kho, talk to each other and sing songs,” she says. She proceeds to sing a song whose standout line is “ulta sulta lihla tari madam karil saral ga (even if we write haphazardly, our teacher corrects us).”
Parvati Maruti Kedar in her uniform. Photo credit: Krystelle Dsouza
At Aajibaichi Shala, success cannot be measured by a single parameter. It is different for every student. For some, it is the ability to rattle off the barakhadi; for others it means being able to write their name; For still others, it could be the opportunity to open their own bank account.
When Yogendra founded the school in 2016, he knew it was an unusual idea. He explains what inspired him: “I have been teaching at the Zilla Parishad School in the village since 2013.” One day we had organized a program on Shivaji Jayanti. Many women were present. Some of these grandmothers said how nice it would be to be able to read the scripts about the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji.
The following Women’s Day, Yogendra wanted to have a tangible impact on the lives of these seniors. “I felt that the greatest gift for her would be to learn to sign, so I decided to start a school and asked Shital (whose children studied at Zilla Parishad School) if she would teach them,” he says. The one-class school was built with funds from the Motiram Dalal Trust founded by Dilip Dalal.
Subverting norms
As she goes to school, Gulab Shivaji Kedar (66) evokes nostalgic memories of her childhood. “I was the eldest sibling; my younger sister and brother were sent to school. But I had to stay at home so I could wash the vessels. I had responsibilities.” But now Gulab is fulfilling these childhood fantasies. “On my first day, my grandchildren came to take me to school,” she says. Nirmala Sakharam Kedar (65) also says: “My parents never had the money to send me to school.” They were daily wage laborers and earned a few rupees a day.”
Aajibaichi Shala students write on their slates during class. Photo credit: Krystelle Dsouza
Teaching a group of senior citizens is not conventional, shares Shital. “They keep forgetting what you teach them.” You can’t teach them all together because some of them can’t hear. “You have to sit with each one individually.” However, a decade with these women has deepened her understanding of their interests and talents.
According to a Report by HelpAge India40 percent of older people who are illiterate reported no access to sources of income, compared to 29 percent of respondents who can read and write. The study was conducted in 20 tier-I and tier-II cities across 10 states, surveying a total of 5,169 elderly people and 1,333 caregivers.
The aim of Aajibaichi Shala is to curb the problem and help seniors become more independent. Sonabai Maruti Kedar (79) is an example. She says: “Now I go to Bachatgat (self-help groups) meetings and feel safe to speak my mind.” I even sign wherever I have to. “I used to take my thumbprint,” she says.
The students of Aajibaichi Shala in their school. Image source: Krystelle Dsouza
Belonging to the school opens new doors for these women. In 2022, they were invited as guests on Kaun Banega Crorepati. They now regularly undertake sponsored trips through India and appear in several shows.
Shital shares what underlines this resilience. She says, “One woman, Sitabai Deshmukh, came to school every day until she fell ill.” When she died, she was buried in uniform with her bags and books. Her last wish was to be able to read and write.’ It is a testament to how a powerful story unfolds in Fangane, shaped by an unwavering desire to learn.
The quotes in the article are the author’s free translation from Marathi and Hindi.
Krystelle Dsouza is a Mumbai-based journalist interested in stories that emerge from the margins and ideas that translate into scalable impact. She believes in the ripple effect that every idea and initiative has and strives to capture that feeling in her stories.