The school started with 25 students. Only one was a girl. Her name was Pali. Her father, under sufferance, let her study.

No other parents would send their girls to school. “What is the point?” they said. “What job would they get?” “Who will do the housework?” “Why should we waste our money educating girls? They go to their husband’s house, and his family gets the benefit.”

Pali’s parents were illiterate, so couldn’t help her with her studies. But she did not give up.

Several boys dropped out. But Pali and 16 boys completed primary school, and went to PCDP’s hostel to start secondary school.

When they came home in the holidays, people were amazed at how much they had learned, how polite they were, how well behaved.

Pali has shown that girls can learn just as well as boys!