Meena packed her school bag quickly. She put in her notebooks and lunchbox. She then neatly braided her hair and washed her face. She put on her shoes and was about to rush out of the door – when her brother Rakesh came in. He was fiddling with the Rakhi on his hand – a plain red and black thread that Meena had tied that day morning. After all, it was raksha bandhan - the day on which sisters’ tie threads on their brothers’ wrists as a symbol of love and protection.
Meena reached out and gave Rakesh a tight hug. “Thank you for the best Rakhi gift!” saying so she ran out of the door. Rakesh watched her go with wistful eyes. His own school bag lay on the bed. But he ignored it and picked up the gunny bag lying beside instead. Sighing, he walked slowly out of the door.
Meena and Rakesh were the children of construction laborers. Their parents could barely afford their education and meals. They had registered Meena and Rakesh in the nearby government school. However, twice a week, they made Meena skip school and go and sort through garbage at the railway station dump. Any recyclable waste she found was sold and helped pay for their meals. Rakesh, being a boy, was allowed to attend school daily.
On Raksha Bandhan, Rakesh told Meena that she could go to school instead of him. He let her have his lunch box and went himself to sort through garbage.
Did you, as a sibling ever have to make such a difficult choice? At Annamrita, we encounter such families daily. Little girls who skip meals so their brothers get to eat. Little boys who miss school to work and feed their sisters. These are the kind of families we are helping. One square meal a day, at school can help them study and make something of their life.
This Raksha Bandhan – donate a portion of your Rakhi gift to Annamrita and experience the true joy of loving and caring.
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