Seema, a 10-year-old girl from the Fatehpur village in Jamui, Bihar hops to school on one leg every day to study. After being severely injured in an accident 2 years ago, doctors had no choice but to amputate her leg.
Both Seema's parents are uneducated, and her father works as a labourer in another state. After Seema's foot got caught under a tractor, it had to be removed to save her life. Since then, she uses crutches to walk around. Seema's disability has not deterred her from pursuing her passion for education. She not only walks 500 metres to school every day, but she also teaches other girls in the village. Seema also encourages others to get an education.
While Seema's courage is aweworthy, it is important to realize that this is something thousands of rural children go through on a daily basis.
According to a report by the National Achievement Survey (NAS), 2021, only 9 percent children in India take the school bus. As much as 48 percent students go to school by foot, and the rest travel by private vehicles such as cars, cycles, or two-wheelers.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also shared Seema's story and applauded her resilience. He wrote, "10-year-old Seema's passion has made me emotional. Every child in the country should get a good education. I don't know politics, but I do know that every government has enough resources. To give the best education to every child like Seema should be the mission of every true patriot, this is true patriotism," in a tweet roughly translated from Hindi.
Sonu Sood assured support for her as well. In a tweet translated from Hindi, he wrote, "Now she will go to school by jumping on not one but both feet. I am sending the ticket, the time has come to walk on both feet."
Netizens were also all praises for Seema and her dedication. Here are some reactions:
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