This school in India is just for grandmothers


Grandmothers in a village in India are hitting the books, going to school every day except Thursday to learn how to read and write.
The school celebrated its one-year anniversary on Wednesday, International Women's Day, with founder Yogendra Bangar telling the BBC it was started to show women "the respect they deserve." He raised money to purchase teaching materials and pink saris for the women, set up a classroom, and found a teacher, Sheetal More, 30, who works for free and counts her mother-in-law as one of her students. "If a woman is educated, the entire house becomes educated as she brings knowledge and light to the house," Bangar said.
There are now 30 students between the ages of 60 and 90 attending this special school, including Ansuya Deshmukh, who was married off at age 10. "There was no money to buy slate and books, no money to buy clothes," the 90-year-old told the BBC. "I used to go sometimes, mostly alternate days, but I used to fall sick so they stopped sending me to school." Over the past year, she has learned how to sign her name, recite the alphabet, and count to 21.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Why Turkey's Kurdish insurgents are laying down their arms
Under the Radar The PKK said its aims can now be 'resolved through democratic politics'
-
Book reviews: 'Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves' and 'Notes to John'
Feature The aughts' toxic pop culture and Joan Didion's most private pages
-
The FDA plans to embrace AI agencywide
In the Spotlight Rumors are swirling about a bespoke AI chatbot being developed for the FDA by OpenAI
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read