Bringing education to girls, on buses

GURGAON: Till five years ago, girl students from the villages around Gurgaon were unceremoniously forced to quit studies after high school. The reasons: First, there would be no institutes of higher education nearby, and second, parents wouldn't allow the girls to take public transport alone and take admission in a city college. They would rather have her work in the field or better still, get married.
Five years on, things have changed, thanks to the efforts of Rakesh Daultabad, a resident of Palam Vihar E-Block, who operates three buses exclusively for girl students pursuing their higher education in Gurgaon. Today, Daultabad, with the help of his friends, helps 350 girls from the remote villages travel to the city free and safe.
"Over the years, I have seen how girl students from these villages are forced to cut-shot their studies. One simple reason was parents did not want to send their daughters to the city because it wasn't safe," says Daultabad. "I had to do something about it."
Since higher education couldn't be brought to their doorsteps, the other option was to provide the girls with a mode of transport which was safe and preferably free.
Daultabad discussed his concerns with his parents and approached several well-off persons in the villages for funds. The idea was to hire a bus with the money thus collected. Those approached responded well, and the mission was well on the road. At this point, a few of his friends decided to chip in and they started to cover different villages.
In the first year, just 12 girls decided to avail the facility. Now, there are three buses and 350 girl students.
Students from 20 villages, including Geratpur, Teekli, Aklampur, Nur Badshapur and Ramgarh are picked up at their doorsteps from 8am onwards and are dropped after their classes are over at 3pm. The best part is the commuters do not have to pay for their travels.
A businessman, Daultabad is also helping those who have completed their education with classes in knitting and embroidery. He has also opened a tuition class for those inclined towards teaching. "These girls are now teaching small children and getting paid for it," says Daultabad.
He also rues the public transport. "The villages are worst-affected. But, when the city itself does not have a standard bus queue shelter stop, what can the villages expect," he says.