Jaspal chose the development of his village over the bright lights of the city

“My English is quite good and I aspired to become a teacher in a reputed school in a metropolitan city. When I contacted Educate Girls, my dream changed completely. I decided to improve the education of children who live in villages, and now I work as a teacher at a school,” says Jaspal Singh. 

Born into a farming family, Jaspal grew up with a deep appreciation for his parents’ struggles. His father was a farmer, and his mother was a housewife. He has four brothers, all of whom work. Jaspal completed his early education in his hometown and further studies at Abu Road.

While studying at a Special Training Centre (STC, he had the opportunity to meet Hansa Ram, a Field Coordinator for Educate Girls. Hansa Ram explained the organisation’s goals and efforts to encourage girls to get an education. “I have always been enthusiastic about promoting education, so I decided to join Educate Girls in 2013 and become a Team Balika Volunteer,” says Jaspal.

In Jaspal’s words, working with a motivated team allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of the roles and activities of volunteers. “I found great joy in engaging in the tasks assigned by the organisation. I learned a lot and kept improving my skills. I actively participated in each training with an eagerness to improve. Recognising my dedication and hard work, the organisation appointed me as Field Coordinator in 2016. This role provided me with many learning opportunities, which contributed significantly to my personal and professional development,” says Jaspal.

While working as a volunteer, Jaspal says he witnessed many inequalities in how families thought about their girls’ upbringing compared to their boys. He also witnessed this inequality in his own family. In his childhood, he studied with his cousin in the same class. They were both excellent at studies. She was better than him. After class eight, Jaspal was sent to a nearby village to study while his cousin was made to drop out. “If she had also studied further, she would have become a great officer,” he says sadly. 

This is why Jaspal always remembers that he has to work twice as hard to push the girls in his class forward. Whenever he gets a chance, he tries to inspire girls in the community to move forward and imagine a different future for themselves. “Once, while I was travelling by bus on the Rajasthan roadways, I chatted with the bus driver, who told me that his daughter had studied till class 12 and was now sitting at home. In that short journey, I explained to him that it was important to continue her education so that she could benefit from it in any way. I motivated him to let her do her Basic School Teaching Certificate and become a teacher. Today, she has become a teacher,” says Jaspal with pride.

Jaspal got the opportunity to enter public service in 2017 when he was made a government teacher. Presently, he works at a government school in Abu Road. 

“Even today, I actively promote education in my village and society. I work with other Team Balika volunteers and help them organise activities under the theme, ‘My Village, My Problem, and I am the Solution’,” says Jaspal. His journey from a Team Balika volunteer to a government teacher reveals his steadfast commitment towards education and the empowerment of his community.