A Pathshala That Is A Boon For Surat’s Senior Women

What began as a small gathering of seniors under a streetlight, has become a guiding light for senior women in Surat’s Katargam area. The humble assembly has grown into a thriving classroom where over 120 elderly women have learned to read and write.

Over the past nine years, 48-year-old Beena Kalathiya’s pathshala has touched the lives of older women, giving them a new lease of life in their golden years. “When my children were young, I was too busy with home and family. But after they moved on, I decided instead of just whiling away my time, I should dedicate it to something greater, for Seva,” says Beena.

She began teaching elderly women, many of whom had never held even a pencil, leave alone go to a school. Every afternoon from 3 pm to 5 pm Beena runs the unique pathshala at the local senior citizen centre.

In the morning, she manages a small mukhwas (mouth-fresheners) business with her sisters. Whatever she earns goes into books, notebooks, and chalk for the ‘students’ at the centre. With no big donations streaming in for her initiative, Beena relies on her own savings – and immense willpower – to light up the lives of the senior women, one alphabet at a time. Her goal is simple: to fill every elderly person with confidence so they can spend their free time reading and learning.

Aditya Birla Group is happy to partner The Better India to bring to light inspiring stories of people acting as #AForceForGood.