The privilege of work ...

These are children who have the privilege of working and of doing meaningful work at each phase of their growing up. A child of four sweeps the courtyard and put the muggu (rangoli). A child of six starts the fire and heats up bath water for the family, a child of eight cooks the evening rice. The middle school children leave for their school three kilometers away after doing some basic morning works of cooking,  cleaning vessels and clearing cowdung. They come back from the government school by six in the evening. Then they heat up water for their bath, cook the evening meal if the parents are away at labour, and come neat and eager to sit together and do their homework. They have luckily not been told that to have to work is a sad situation  and they are able to engage fruitfully in the home responsibilities along with school. On holidays, they go grazeing the cows or go for labour. Happy children, with a sense of  responsibility and anchor in real life. Lucky children.