“May my children have an abundance of milk and rice”, says the loosely-translated verse from the Bangla narrative poem Annada Mangal by Bharatchandra Ray. This blessing is what the boatman seeks when Devi Annapurna wants to pay him for ferrying her across the river. A metaphor for the prosperity of children during those times.

Every interaction with VFS customers, the micro-entrepreneurs who are trying to make their dreams a reality, reminds me of this verse.

As you will have read in my earlier blogs, VFS customers share the same hopes—a better standard of living for the family and education for the children.

There might have been various situations that stole the opportunity of proper school education. A few might have been married off early in life, while for others, it might have been the sheer lack of awareness or social pressure. But once they are on track out of poverty, their topmost priority seems to ensure that the next generation goes to school and college.

What is even more encouraging is the fact that the dream is devoid of gender bias. The entrepreneur mother Manju welcomes her daughter’s help in finishing an assignment when she is down with stomach ache, but she makes it clear that she will not have her daughter as an assistant till she completes her graduation. There will be no repeat of the story of her life, where she could not study beyond Class 8.

It is encouraging to see how VFS customers realize that long-term prosperity does not mean just increased income, but also the education of the next generation.