“I was sitting idle in class one day thinking about different ideas that could be showcased at the science exhibition. I could not think of anything ground-breaking. I went back home after a very tiring day of brain activity. Mom was segregating the waste from the last two days. That’s when the idea struck me. How easy it is for people to do natural composting!”

The next day, 12-year-old Krish Patel, a student of 8th standard in Kalol’s Santer Prathamika Shala became a very popular child amongst his teachers. He discussed this idea with his whole school and was applauded by everyone present in the auditorium. He bagged the title of the 1st winner in the science fair, he was given full credit for the fruition of the idea. 

Born to a couple from the Below Poverty Line (BPL), his father is a daily-wage labourer and mother is a domestic help. He is aware that his passion for becoming a scientist is not feasible due to financial constraints and he accepts this fact with equanimity. 

More often than not, talented children do not get the opportunity to grow due to financial challenges. 

One of the teachers in the school says that they have seen a lot of intelligent children in the last few years but nobody like Krish, who knows that he can’t go ahead with his dream, yet remains humble at the same time. 

Krish narrates a story of how he landed up in his school.

“The situation at home was always very edgy. I grew up in a house where every small thing was calculated, be it for my books or even for a plastic cover. We used to and still stack covers of milk packets my mother brings from working at other’s houses and store them so that we can sell them according to their weight to the raddiwalas (scrap dealer).”

At a time when we would ration everything at home, my education was an impending burden. But thankfully, there was an option of enrolling me to a Government school. We chose the one closest to my house so that I wouldn’t have to bear the expenses of travel. My parents enrolled me to this school with the thought that I will get to eat at least one nutritious meal a day. Else, they would have stopped my education by now. 

I get to come to school and have a complete meal while my parents don’t even get to have this.

He continues to say, “I get so many opportunities that I would have missed if it wasn’t for this school. Natural composting is one method that I have explored. Slowly I am thinking of other options to support mother earth. Bio-enzymes are my next step. But, given the background of people around me, I am not sure if people like us will be able to procure citrus fruits for the peels.”

If not for the school, Maybe I have to think of other options. But for now, I am thankful for being in this school and for the food and friends it has given me. I enjoy all the meals served here but my favourite dishes are Jeera Pulav and Dhokali.