Good Samaritan: Ramshackle school crying for help, this tribal grandmother refuses to look away

While the scorching heatwaves are making the headlines, a government school in Rajasthan's Ghatol - like numerous others across India - remains ignored, perhaps non-existent. So what if 146 students have just three rooms. Since doors are long gone, there is hardly any protection from the scorching heatwaves. You can't protect young school children by hanging polythene sheets.

It is hot as hell and noisy. Students overhear whatever is being taught in the other classes as there is no real separation. The building needs serious repairs, some facelift to make it look like a functional school. But this all is unthinkable when the Headmaster Charmee Bhatt asks this reporter: "Please do mention in the story that there is no toilet for girls and the school needs one urgently".

The age-old structure resembles ruins. And children - the future of our nation - come here to get an education. It's not that the issue has not been raised with the authorities. "We have raised our problems at every relevant platform, requested politicians and others, but we are only waiting for help," says Headmaster Bhatt.

Why have we not talked about the tribal grandmother yet? We mentioned her in the headline. If these thoughts have crossed your mind, then please wait.

This school has been a victim of the system. One person can't turn around the tide. But yes, this one person can inspire many others and maybe jolt the authorities out of their deep slumber and force them to act. Are we hoping to achieve too much? Nothing much changes because of a story. Perhaps, we all know this state of affairs but somehow learned to look away. As long as our kids can attend school in AC classrooms, we are not perturbed.

But 65-year-old Dhuli Devi - a resident of Ghatol block, Banswara district, Rajasthan - refuses to look away.

She decides to make a financial sacrifice that means a lot for a family with meagre resources. Yes, her family barely ekes out survival by working in the fields.

Dhuli Devi has donated her one year pension to the school. Yes, one full year pension when there are mouths to be fed and the family has been barely surviving. Dhuli Devi's family has been supportive of this decision knowing full well this will bite them financially for a long time to come. Like her, they are also more interested in the education of the students. "Some of them will become mastarni (lady-teacher), some will get good jobs after getting an education here," she firmly believes.

Dhuli Devi did not have the privilege of attending a school. But she knows the importance of education and desires it for all the children. She also knows that without basic amenities, the school will struggle to retain the students. When asked how the school plans to use the money for the welfare of the students, the headmaster says: "First we will carry out some basic repair and go for whitewash".

"Dhuli Devi's contribution goes beyond financial help. Now, people are inquiring for ways to help," adds Mr Bhatt.

They say: "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness". This appears to be the inspiration behind Dhuli Devi's efforts.