UTTARAKHAND: Janki Chand, 34, is an early riser with meditation being more than a ritual. Her day begins with her official work at the anganwadi centre at Banbasa, a border town in Champawat district of Uttarakhand. Polio afflicted Chand’s feet when she was hardly two years old. She had to move on her four limbs till she was 13 years and managed to stand upright and started walking with the help of a stick.
“I was able to go to school only after that. My mother feared for my future and I worked hard to catch up with other children who were way ahead of me. My sister and mother helped me with my study,” recalls Chand, an anganwadi worker.
She also teaches underprivileged children who cannot afford education in private schools and motivates young girls to move ahead in their life, never giving up. Held in high esteem in an area known as ‘Banbasa Basti Meena Bazar’ of 3,500 people, she has ensured no child is deprived of education and no girl is deprived of her basic rights.
“It was in 2006 when I first visited the colony. Most children there were delinquents and wasted their time in useless activities. I took a year before I could understand a little bit about the situation. I spoke to the youths and encouraged them to focus on productive work,” says Chand.
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