Making a difference: Meet this Ghaziabad woman who turned a bus stop into a classroom

Can we only study in a classroom? How about a bus stop alongside a busy road? That is where six children Rajkumar, Omkar, Mamta, Swati, Nisha, and Yoginder study every evening with their teacher Rekha ma’am. The bus stop at the side of a busy road in Uttar Pradesh's Indirapuram, every evening, is transformed into a learning space with blackboards and charts hung. On a chilly Wednesday evening, 11-year-old, Yoginder brings a chair for his teacher and then sits down on the dusty bus stop platform, placing his notebook on his school bag.

Sixty-seven-year-old Rekha Saxena, a retired Civilian Assistant Officer in Defence, flips the pages of his notebook and assigns him new work. After all her students are busy with their allotted tasks, she readies herself to narrate the story of – ‘How She Met Her Students’. 

'Met them at a plant nursery shop'

Rekha tells Zee News Digital that teaching and exchanging laughs with this lot of bright-eyed and ambitious children is what she looks forward to most in a day.  “These kids used to work in a plant nursery by the road and one day, I had stopped here to buy plants from their shop. I asked Rajkumar, ‘are you interested in studying?’ and he said, ‘yes’ – that’s how it all started,” she recalls. When she asked the same question to their foofaji or uncle, he fell to her feet, pleased by the idea.

She had made up her mind to take up the responsibility of teaching them. But Rekha needed a little nudge from her daughter Sapna who is a college professor. Her daughter told her that – why not spend retirement giving back to the community instead of just waiting for days to go by.

Rekha went the extra mile and enrolled the kids in a nearby school, equipped them with uniforms and books - a kit for their journey to knowledge. Meanwhile, every evening, she takes time out for 2-3 hours to help the kids with their lessons.

“If senior citizens - who are at home - teach even 2-3 children every day for an hour, it can create a big difference. It can encourage children to pursue education further in life,” she tells Zee News Digital.

Living, and not just studying at the bus stop

It was not easy for Rekha or the little children to dive deep into the world of numbers and the alphabet. “I had to introduce concepts to them in a fun manner to create interest and concentration,” she explains. 

When asked if she faced difficulties teaching at a bus stop, Rekha smiles and says, “When these kids live and sleep at the bus stop, why would I mind teaching them here?” The kids spend all their time in and around the bus stop. In summer, rain, and winter, they live here, she says.

Omkar, Rajkumar, Yoginder, Mamta, and Nisha who are siblings had lost their parents, and were under the care of their foofa ji or paternal uncle. They helped their uncle in pottery and woodwork when not engrossed in their studies. 

'Children braver than most'

The little kids are braver than most, Rekha remarks. “In freezing cold weather, they sleep outside while cuddling street dogs to keep themselves warm,” she says. I truly admire their determination; she said when asked if there’s something she learned from her students.

“I had my share of struggles when I lost my husband but after meeting these children, my troubles seem so small,” she says. 

Rekha’s daughter talks about supporting the children outside of the classroom. “Since they live outside, they were facing issues with rats that would nibble into their clothes and other belongings. Later, we got them an almirah to keep their things safe,” Sapna reveals.

Their uncle works all day and night to provide for them, so they’re mostly left to their devices. Abusive language, misbehaviour with the female children were some of the issues they saw.

“A doctor friend of mine once held a session with the kids on good touch and bad touch,” Sapna tells us that they host these awareness sessions on special days such as – Children’s Day. The mother-daughter duo has inevitably grown attached to the doting children whose eyes light up the moment ‘ma’am’ arrives at the bus stop. 

‘What kind of relationship do you share with your students?’

Before Rekha could explain, Sapna excitedly chimes in and says, “Her relationship with the kids is very friendly, they share their problems with my mom. Along with her teacher and guide, she’s also turned into a confidant.”

The kids are part of our family celebrations too, Rekha adds. 

“If we don’t celebrate with them, it feels strange. Until I meet my students, I feel incomplete but when I do, I feel calm,” she says.

‘If someone wants to start teaching children around them, what’s your advice to them?’

Rekha says that anyone with free time can help the kids in their community instead of sitting idle or gossiping.

'Where does one start teaching'

Immediately ready with the answer, Sapna advises, “You will find kids in need in every locality. You can start with your househelp’s children or step out of your home and observe. Even if one person takes the responsibility of tutoring one kid, it will make a big impact.”

She adds, “Senior citizens may be able to do this more easily as after retirement they would have more time to spend teaching.”

Meet her star students

Mamta, Rajkumar, Yoginder, Swati, Omkar and Nisha are the star students of Rekha ma’am. 10-year-old Swati is the one who loves math because “it is easy” and she’s also a great artist – she excitedly shows her latest drawing of Santa Claus to her teacher. Eleven-year-old Yoginder who got an early promotion in class says that he aspires to be an IAS officer when he grows up. Mamata, 5, hesitant to talk at first, expresses her wish to be a fauji in the future. On the other hand, Swati, our future math whiz, wants to join Delhi police. 

While these kids excitedly recite poems, 9-year-old, shy Rajkumar stays immersed in his notebook exercises. His concentration is unaverred. The kids’ love for learning was immensely heartwarming as were Yoginder’s words. As when Yoginder was asked what he did in his free time - “Do you play? Or help your uncle with work?”, “I study,” he said with a smile.