11-year-old boy’s mother is his schoolmate

Phidim, September 28:

Tara Devi Rai, 31, of the Phalaicha VDC-9 in Panchthar, has started going to school with her 11-year-old son to fulfil her desire to study.

“I dreamt of reaching the highest plane of education and becoming a great person. My dream shattered when my parents married me off while I was studying in Class VIII,” Rai said.

Tara was married to Prem Kumar while she was studying at Ganesh Secondary School, Taplejung. She said, “I am going to Narayani Secondary School regularly after taking admission in Class IX. My son is in Class IV.” “I am still hungry for studying further even after 13 years of marriage,” she said, adding, “I wanted to go to school but my husband and in-laws did not approve of it.”

“I finish my daily chores early in the morning and go to school,” she said. Tara wants to at least get secondary-level education to impress upon the local children to go to school. “Tara is a role model for rural people,” said Machindra Begha, chairman of the school management board.