Hirabai Dreams of a Complete Education
Biking the way to education
Hirabai began walking to school when she was 6 years old. The 2-mile journey from her home in rural India to the village school was tiring and, too often, dangerous. At 14, attending the more-distant high school, she wasn’t sure she would complete her education … until she received a Dream Bike through ChildFund.
Some Indian girls, such as Hirabai, a 14-year-old eighth grader, used to have to walk through rugged countryside just to get to school. Hirabai lives in a remote Indian village, and her school is more than 2 miles away from her family’s home. Hirabai often missed two days of school each week. Not only was this journey long and arduous, it was also dangerous.
During one walk to school, Hirabai and her friends encountered a pack of wild boars. Fortunately, none of the girls were harmed, but boars can be fiercely territorial, and the situation could have become very dangerous. On another day, one of Hirabai’s friends fell down while walking over the treacherous terrain and was injured.
These hardships illustrate the dangers faced by many girls in India and Sri Lanka. Missing many days of school, or not attending at all, reduces their chances of achieving successful livelihoods and independence as adults, as well as leading to societal problems like early marriage and exploitative child labor.
That’s why ChildFund’s Dream Bike campaign is so important.
Last year, Hirabai received a bicycle through ChildFund’s Dream Bike campaign. Not only did the bicycle enable her to get to school on time, it also substantially reduced the time it takes for her to get there, meaning she has more time to complete her homework and gets home before nightfall. Every day, Hirabai and her friends ride to school together, and she is no longer late for classes. When she finishes school, Hirabai plans to attend college, an opportunity she may have missed without the bicycle.
