“I never imagined I would go to school because I believed it was my responsibility to help my father with repaying the loan.”
13-year-old Jai (pictured above), has been attending a Toybox-supported education project for the past few years. Here, in his own words, he shares some personal reflections on his family's move to Delhi, his first experience of attending school and his hopes for the future.
Starting a new life in the city
"My family moved to Delhi from Bihar around 4–5 years ago in search of a better future. Adjusting to life here wasn't easy for any of us. Everything felt so different from our village. Finding a place to live was really tough as most houses were already taken. Eventually, we finally found a tiny room to call home. Life in Delhi came with its own set of challenges. Unlike the quiet and peaceful environment of the village, families here often argue, and even children regularly use bad language. This was a culture shock for us.
We moved to Delhi mostly because of money problems. My grandmother had taken a big loan and my father wanted to help pay it back. So, he decided to move our whole family to Delhi. As soon as we got there, he started looking for a job so we wouldn’t struggle or go hungry.
After settling here, I started helping my family with their work. We focused on making and designing shoe straps, decorating them with stones and other embellishments to give the shoes a new look. I never imagined I would go to school because I believed it was my responsibility to help my father with repaying the loan.
I have a big family with four elder brothers and three younger sisters. My elder brothers do temporary jobs like painting and daily-wage labour to support the family. Eventually, we all started working together in the shoe strap business. As a family, we earn around ₹350–400 (around £3.25 - £3.70) per day. My younger sisters help out too. Only one of them goes to school - she's in 2nd grade. The other two are still too young to attend.
Pictured below: Jai sits by his mother as she works sorting and preparing the shoe straps for the family's business.
In 2022, Jai met Toybox's local partner, CHETNA, and started attending the education project. He shares, "At the learning centre, the project provides stationery and a hot meal every day. My favourite days are when we get pasta or puri with aloo sabzi. The project has also introduced me to the concept of child rights. We regularly discussed child rights, and through life skills workshops, I learned about organisations like Childline 1098, which provide help to children in need."
Through his involvement at the project, Jai was also supported to enrol at school for the first time. He continues:
"I have always dreamed of going to school, but for a long time my priority was to help my parents. I knew that my contribution to their work would bring in more money, which would help them repay the loan my grandmother had taken.
I realised that education could give me a purpose and keep me away from bad influences. Before this, my days were unproductive — I would either work, wander around the community, or play games with friends. Staff from the project guided me through the admission process. They also helped me in opening a bank account. I had no idea it could benefit children like me, by enabling us to receive financial support from the government."
Overcoming fears
Initially, I was scared to go to school. I thought children often fought over small arguments, so I avoided interacting with them. However, attending the learning centre regularly helped me overcome this fear. Gradually, I began talking to other children, made friends, and learned to interact confidently. Now, I feel comfortable at school and enjoy playing sports like cricket with my friends and classmates. Cricket is my favourite because I also play it at home.
Now, I'm determined to change my life. I want to support my family while getting an education and creating a better future for all of us."