Jyotipunj Ucch Prathmik Vidyalaya

If you travel out to Sarthala in the Chittorgarh district, you will find Jyotipunj Ucch Prathmik Vidyalaya. It is a quiet place for the most part, except for when the children are here. We are an upper primary school, so the students stay with us until they are ready for high school. The surroundings are quite open compared to the big cities. We have a few rooms and a small courtyard where everyone gathers. The staff here is mostly local people who care about the kids in the village. We don't have any big slogans or fancy brochures. People just know us because we’ve been here in Sarthala for years. The day starts early, especially in the summer to beat the heat. We spend our time teaching the standard subjects and making sure the kids are doing their work. Sometimes we run out of chalk or need to fix a desk, but we manage. It’s a simple life here at the school. The kids often walk from their homes nearby. We see them grow up from little ones into teenagers. It’s rewarding to see them learn to read and write. There is always something to do, whether it’s cleaning the classrooms or organizing the books in the small library we have. We just try to provide a steady place for the neighborhood children to spend their day and get some schooling. The walls are a bit dusty from the road, but we don't mind much as long as the teaching happens.