-:Tara Akshar:-

80 year old learns to read

Transcript of Sunday Special, Dainik Jagran, Bhagalpur, 29 June, 2008

Gauri Took a Pen in Her Hand at the Age of 80, Became an Inspiration for Illiterates

Once Illiterate She Now Lights the Flame of Literacy

Where there is a will there is a way!

At an advance age when people tend to become a burden, 80 year old Gauri Devi of Kundhur Village, Giddhaur Block of Jamui District in Bihar has become an example among the illiterates for her deep desire for learning. Ignoring her growing age and deteriorating eyesight, Gauri started learning under the TARA Akshar programme to rub off the stamp of illiteracy. Gradually the desire for learning arose in her and today she reads the Newspaper without hesitation.

A grandmother of six, Gauri Devi got full support from her family in her journey from illiteracy to literacy and today after becoming a literate woman she is conveying the message to illiterate people of the village that there is no age bar for learning. If a person has strong will power, no obstacle of age or poverty can stand in the way.

Gauri Devi says that she wants to read more and more but there is no facility to educate older women in the village. Nowadays Gauri teaches her grandchildren and reads the world news through newspapers. Gauri is motivating the interest in education amongst the other illiterate people of the village and she requests the District Administration to have separate arrangements for learning for the people who are interested in education at an older age. About her journey, she says that she faced many difficulties while starting the education program in her old age, but now she has started enjoying it. She is unable to hide her exhilaration when signing her name. In her fight to stop the darkness of illiteracy, she says that her family and villagers are standing by with her.