Delhi: Ansuya Deshmukh recently realised her dream – to write her name. The name she has had her entire life but could not write because she never went to school. At 90, she's relieved she has managed it.
"All my life I have been illiterate. It's like being only half human. But what could I do? My parents were too poor to send me to school. Now I can die knowing I can write my name,' she said.
Deshmukh has been a widow living in Phangane village in western India ever since she married.
Her two sons, daughters-in-law and grandchildren live with her. It's her youngest grand-daughter who escorts her to school every morning.
Related Content
Yes, school.
Deshmukh attends a School for Grannies (Aajibaichi Shala), probably the only one of its kind in India.
Grannies aged above 60 who have never been to school have been learning to read, write and do basic arithmetic over the past 11 months.
Deshmukh is the eldest in the class of 28 grannies. Though she is hard of hearing, she has managed to learn the alphabet (in the local language, Marathi).
The School for Grannies was started by Yogendra Bangar, 40, a teacher in the village primary school.
The idea occurred to him when, during a religious celebration when officials were reading from the scriptures, an elderly woman said: "If we knew how to read, we could read the holy books ourselves at home instead of others doing it for us".
Bangar says he realised that no one had ever before thought of doing anything for the old women in the village.
"They had been wives and mothers and home makers and looked after everyone but no one gave any thought to their desires," he says.
His other reason for opening the school – basically a new classroom built as an extension of the existing primary school – was to teach the young to respect the elderly.
"A grandmother is a diamond. Value her, is our message," he says.
Every weekday, between two and four pm, the grannies turn up for classes, all wearing their uniform of a bright pink sari and a satchel containing their slate, chalk, and textbook.
Why a uniform?
"Well, all schools have uniforms so why should they be any different?" answers Bangar.
Why bright pink?
"Widows in India are forbidden to wear bright colours. They are meant to wear only white to show they are still grieving for their husband and cannot enjoy life. That's why I deliberately chose pink, to break those old taboos," he says.
The entire village backs his project.
On the first day of school, he said the entire village turned up to celebrate the grannies' arrival and there were garlands and a brass band.
Dilip Dalal, founder of the Motiram Dalal Charitable Trust which has helped co-found the school, says it has been a success.
"The grannies are so eager to learn, such good students, that it's a pleasure to see them make progress," he said.
He also believes it sends out an important message to children who are not keen on studying.
"They need to realise that if they don't study now, it might be a whole lifetime before they get a chance again," says Dalal.
Sita, 62, who goes by only one name, said she had always looked at her children's school textbooks when they were young and had longed to learn to read.
Later in life, she used to look at her grand-children's textbooks and feel the same yearning.
"No one except another uneducated person knows the embarrassment of being illiterate. Now I can hold my head up high in front of other people," says Sita.
Like the others, Sita gets homework.
If she gets stuck, her grandchildren help her out.
Her proudest moment a few months ago was when she visited the bank for some work. Earlier, she had always given a thumb impression on documents as she couldn't sign. This time, she signed her name.
"I felt very proud because signing is more dignified than giving your thumb impression,' she says.
Bangar is hoping that some grannies in neighbouring villages will also start attending.
On International Woman's Day, March 8, the school will celebrate its first anniversary.
Bangar has plans for a Sports Day.
"Don't worry," he laughs. "We're not planning any strenuous races. Just some music and dancing."