The sixth grader makes anything between Rs 150 and Rs 200 a day by selling firewood. On an average, he makes Rs 3,500 a month, with which he finances his own and his siblings" education, apart from contributing some money for household expenses. [break]
The boy, who also does odd chores in the evenings, is among good students at school.
“Work hampers studies, so I read at night,” he says, adding, “My family has no source of income, so I must sell firewood.”
It has been a year since Dilip started selling firewood. Dilip"s parents are farmers, who are not in a position to educate their two sons and a daughter.
Dilip is not the only students who finances education by selling firewood.
Narjit BK of Khalanga-4 does the same. Narjit"s father repairs kitchenware, and does not make enough to support his family of six. This leaves Narjit with the only option of financing his studies by selling firewood. He spends the latter half of Fridays and the whole of Saturdays gathering firewood. He makes around Rs 2,500 a month by selling firewood.
“I don´t need to pay tuition fees at school. But I need money to purchase notebooks, pens and dress,” says Narjit, who got a scholarship owing to his dalit lineage.
There are around 100 school kids in Rukum who finance their education by selling either firewood or vegetable.
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