Shishupal, 24, sat on a charpai in his family’s courtyard, surrounded by his parents and siblings. Basking in the warm winter morning sun, he put on his suit and tie, looking ready for a big occasion — but this was his morning routine. Shishupal was the principal of a private school, and he had to look the part. 

The courtyard stretched out to a pomegranate orchard and a kitchen garden. Shishupal’s parents were farmers who grew wheat, chickpeas, and pulses on the small piece of land they owned. They had raised six children and barely managed to make ends meet despite working hard in the fields all their lives. 

“We don’t make much money from farming even if we work hard year-round. There are not many opportunities in farming,” said Shishupal’s father, Laxman. 

Laxman and his wife, Sakhi Bai, had always wanted a different life for their children, but they didn’t know how to provide it. Their eldest daughter dropped out after 5th standard and was married at the age of 15. They thought it was normal because everyone in the community did the same. They themselves had been married young, at 18 and 16 respectively. They learned about the harms of child marriage when World Vision India first came to their community in 1999. Life had been much harder before then. Children were given very few opportunities to succeed, and even basic necessities like water and toilets were unavailable to most. 

“Before World Vision India, no one in the village had a toilet. We used to defecate in the open fields. World Vision India helped build toilets, and now our children are much more aware of personal hygiene. They also dug hand pumps in the community. Water scarcity was common before that. The overall health and hygiene of the community has improved so much since,” said Sakhi Bai. 

Shishupal didn’t come across as a shy person, but as a child, he couldn’t speak in public. Teaching as a profession had never even crossed his mind—not even in his wildest dreams.  

“My brother was very shy; he couldn’t speak in public. We have personally seen the transformation in his personality after attending World Vision India’s programme,” said Shishupal’s younger sister, Hemkumari, who was in her final year of a BA. 

Shishupal was a sponsored child of World Vision (WV) India for ten years. He actively participated in awareness programmes and learning activities initiated by WV India and was part of the Rani Laxmibai Children’s Club. He attributed his confidence building to Life Skills Education for Transformation (LSET) and Life School for Transformational Development (LSTD), where children were taught life lessons through songs, dances, skits, and other activities. 

“I thought I wouldn’t be able to do anything in life. I couldn’t even say my name in public. I didn’t want to attend school because I was very shy. Life Skills Education for Transformation activities were very good for me. Sometimes we would pick a word and speak about it. It honed my public speaking skills. I was part of Play for Peace, and we spread social awareness on various issues,” said Shishupal. 

Shishupal proudly recounted an incident when one of WV India’s staff members, who had met him when he was younger, did not recognise him because he had changed so much within a couple of years. As a WV India sponsored child, Shishupal received all the support he needed to stay in school. He was given a bicycle to ride to school, and his family received solar lights to study at night when electricity was erratic. 

“Everyone studied a little. Girls studied up to 5th and 8th standards, and boys completed 10th or 10+2 before joining their parents in farming. There are so many college-going boys and girls now. So much has changed since World Vision India’s intervention,” said Shishupal. 

Shishupal completed his Bachelor of Arts from Lalitpur and taught at a Remedial Education Centre (REC) for two years. REC provides learning support for children aged 6 to 14. Each REC has a teacher, and free classes are held for two hours, six days a week. This ensures that children attain age-appropriate learning and develop foundational, essential, and applied life skills. Shishupal has been a strong advocate for LSET activity-based learning because of the impact it had on his life. 

“Earlier, children did not want to go to school because they couldn’t catch up. Through REC, enrolment in school has improved and the dropout rate has decreased. Through LSET activities, children learned much more about public speaking and gained confidence. Even parents have seen drastic improvements in their children’s lives and encourage them to attend REC,” said Shishupal.  

He went on to complete master's in business administration from Bareilly and is currently pursuing ‘Basic Teacher’s Training’, a two year’s course from Lalitpur. 

Shishupal rode his bike to school and walked into his office on the second floor. For a young man, the responsibility of looking after a primary school with more than 300 students was a huge task. But he relished the opportunity to teach and learn from his work. Though new to the job as a principal, he had been teaching for a while. Trying to come up with the best teaching methods for his students, his mind often went back to the time he spent at WV India’s children’s club. He borrowed the LSET and LSTD exercises and used these methods to teach his students twice a month. 

“I saw massive improvement and we have continued it,” says Shishupal. 

Shishupal’s heart was for the poor and for the many children who couldn’t afford to attend school. 

“I wanted to open my own school someday and have concessions for children who couldn’t afford it. I would like to give free admission to a few students. Teaching is my passion, but serving society is what I learned from World Vision India,” said Shishupal. 

- Jim Kasom 

Labels: #childwellbeing #lifeschool #schools Education Right to education school student