I would like to introduce you to Sonu and Rasik today, two brothers, ten and seven years old. They have been at our school for the past three years and are now in the first and second class.

For one year, the two boys and their parents have moved into the same house that Ishu lives in – because they are cousins. When I introduced Ishu to you, I told you already that there are several related families living in one house. They rented each one room and thus have created a kind of joint family setting with all of them living together but each family having their separate income and expenses.

The fathers are brothers and each of them is barber by profession and all of their small salons – not much more than a garage with a chair in it – are in the same street, just in front of the house.

In spite of the fact that they are professionally competition for each other, they all earn enough money to pay their rent and to buy food for their family. The problem is when it comes to more than that. Sonu’s mother tells us that they often have financial difficulties. In such times, they get help from her mother, who is living nearby. Any extras or regular bigger expenses are impossible – for example school fees, uniforms and everything surrounding a proper school education!

That’s how the boys have come to our school three years ago, got a place there and are still today learning here.