BOOKS OF THE WEEK

Birds In My Garden And Beyond 

by Bulbul Sharma

ABOUT THE BOOK

Walk into a delightful garden full of birds, bees, nests, trees, flowers, and lots and lots of stories.A great big jamun tree and a fat cat dominate Bulbul Sharma garden in Delhi. But the true life of this lovely patch of Green are the birds—sparrows, Parakeets, sunbirds, doves, and many more—who come here to look for food and nectar, build nests, find friends, quarrel with one another, or simply sit and sing to each other. Bulbul writes of the magpie Robin loudly interrupting the other birds; the hoopoe that calls its own name and rushes around busily; the shy Golden oriole that prefers to hide in the large peepal tree; the sharp-eyed owls that watch silently and then swoop down to pick up the mouse that venture out at night. She also describes the hectic activity around a small water body and a forest, the gathering place for sandpipers, dabchicks, snake-birds, red munias, grey Partridge and many migratory birds that fly in from far-off places like the Arctic and Siberia. Filled with glorious colour illustrations, birds in my garden and beyond brings to vivid life The world of Indian birds, and shows us what we need to do to look after them—and make our world more beautiful.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bulbul Sharma is a writer and an artist. She teaches art to children with special needs. She is the author of a number of books for adults and children. She lives mostly in the hills where she loves going on bird-watching and talking-to-trees excursions.

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From Fiction to Classics: outgrowing books

I recently went back to a book that used to be my favourite, but this time, something felt different. There was a time when I read fiction mainly for escape. I was drawn to stories that pulled me in quickly, where emotions were clear and everything felt a little more intense and certain than real life. Those books gave me comfort. They simplified things. But now, I find myself looking for something else in what I read.

I don’t just want to feel a story, I want to understand it. I’ve become more interested in ideas, in the way people think, and in the deeper meaning behind what I’m reading. Because of that, I’ve gradually found myself moving toward classics.

Classics are different. They’re not always easy to read, and they don’t always offer an immediate connection. They make me think more, question more, and see things from different perspectives. 

I think that’s why my favourite book doesn’t affect me the same way anymore. It belonged to a time when I needed simple, emotionally direct stories. Now, I’m more drawn to books that are complex and a little more demanding. Outgrowing a book feels strange but it also reflects growth.  

Readers do not merely collect books, they evolve through them. Some remain significant, while others gradually lose their relevance. Maybe that’s how reading works.

-Sneha

Using Storytelling to Promote Girls’ Education.

 

Read And Lead

To read Every Last Girl by Safeena Husain and discuss a chapter on using storytelling to promote girls’ education, concluding chapter 3.

Key Takeaways

• Storytelling is the key to mindset change. Educate Girls uses plays and real-life anecdotes to emotionally engage communities, making the consequences of illiteracy and the benefits of education tangible.

• Barriers are complex and require tailored solutions. Poverty (e.g., needing a child for chores) and patriarchy (e.g., safety concerns) must be addressed with practical support (e.g., midday meals, flexible schedules) and empathetic challenge.

• Awareness of government schemes is critically low. Many people, including those in urban areas, are unaware of free services like midday meals or Jan Aushadhi stores, highlighting a major communication gap.

• Gender bias is pervasive, even in urban settings. Anecdotes from Greater Noida and Noida confirm that the preference for sons and the view of daughters as liabilities are not limited to rural areas.

Topics

The Power of Storytelling

• Educate Girls uses storytelling to challenge mindsets and build village-wide commitment to girls’ education.

• Plays performed at evening “Ratri Chaupal” meetings are a key tool for illustrating the perils of illiteracy.

• Example 1: “Aaj mar gaya” vs. “Ajmer gaya”

  • Plot: An illiterate mother misreads her son’s letter, believing he has died (“Aaj mar gaya”) instead of having travelled to Ajmer (“Ajmer gaya”).

  • Impact: A powerful, emotional illustration of how illiteracy can cause extreme distress.

• Example 2: Tire Glue vs. Eye Ointment

  • Plot: An illiterate woman accidentally applies toxic tyre glue to her mother-in-law’s eye instead of ointment, causing blindness.

  • Impact: A shocking, true story that makes the life-or-death stakes of literacy undeniable.

Addressing the “Negative Loop”

• A play dramatised the “negative loop” created by denying girls’ education.

• Scenario: A husband insists his wife see a female doctor, and a father demands a female teacher for his daughter.

• Rebuttal: An Educate Girls team member explains that these professionals will not exist until more girls are allowed to go to school and college.

• Impact: Forces the audience to see how their current actions directly prevent the future they claim to want.

Stories of Solutions: Practical Barriers

• Educate Girls also shares stories of practical solutions to overcome barriers.

• Barrier: Child Labour (Meenu’s Story)

  • Problem: 8-year-old Meenu was a full-time goat herder who walked 5 km daily.

  • Parental Objections: “School is too far” (a 2 km walk) and “It’s not safe” (despite her longer, unsupervised herding route).

  • Solution: A flexible schedule was negotiated, allowing Meenu to attend school part-time while the family adjusted.

  • Outcome: Meenu’s education became a priority, and her father now advocates for other girls.

• Barrier: Extreme Poverty (Shanti’s Story)

  • Problem: A widowed, illiterate mother of five was struggling to feed her family, eating only once a day.

  • Initial Stance: “School is not for families like ours.”

  • Solution: The Educate Girls volunteer informed Shanti about free midday meals and helped her access her widow’s pension.

  • Outcome: Shanti enrolled all five daughters and is now learning to write her name, inspired by a story of another widow who became an Anganwadi worker.

Discussion: Broader Context & Action

• Participants confirmed these issues are not limited to rural Rajasthan.

• Greater Noida: Girls are often married after Grade 12, as their education is seen as sufficient to attract a “proper match.”

• Noida: A participant’s mother was questioned by nurses for being happy about a granddaughter, as most families react with sadness.

• Awareness Gap: Many people are unaware of government schemes such as Jan Aushadhi (generic medicine stores) and Ayushman cards (free medical treatment).

• Call to Action: Educated individuals have a duty to spread awareness of these programs to help those in need.

Next Steps

• All Participants: Spread awareness of government social protection and health schemes (e.g., Ayushman cards, Jan Aushadhi stores) among domestic staff and other community members.

• Group: Meet next Thursday to read the next chapter.

FATHOM AI-generated summary.