Madhepura Teacher Welfare Association

The Madhepura Teacher Welfare Association is based in Jaipal Patti, right in Ward No. 15. Krishna Nand Kumar is the person who looks after the place and handles the keys. Being a teacher is hard work and we felt like we needed a spot in Madhepura where we could support each other. It is not a fancy union hall. It is just a room where we meet up after school or on the weekends. We talk about the problems we face in the classrooms and try to find ways to help one another out. Sometimes it is about school supplies, other times it is just about the daily stress of the job. We do not have a secretary or a big filing system. We keep our records in notebooks and talk face-to-face. Madhepura has a lot of schools, so there are plenty of teachers who need a bit of support. We have a small stove in the corner to make tea. Most of our best ideas come while we are waiting for the water to boil. We are not a political group. We just care about the teachers here. If a school has a problem, we try to talk to the principal as a group so one person does not have to do it alone. It is about being a community. Krishna Nand Kumar is usually the first one here and the last to leave. It is a humble association, but it is ours.