Selling goats to help siblings study
While most children were enjoying their school break, Alokh Vikash sold goats at his home in Tunalia Settlement in Nadi to help his sickly father with the family finances. Income from the sales will also assist him and his siblings prepare for another school year. Their family home is located on a 25-acre piece of land, which consists of livestock and a sugarcane farm.
Their only source of electricity is a car battery which generates power to light up their home.
At times Alokh and his siblings would study under a kerosene lamp and it even got worse during rainy days when their house usually gets flooded.
This year Alokh will be attending high school and it is a journey he looks forward to with great passion and determination.
“I love helping my parents, I usually wake up every morning to milk the cows and herd goats before preparing for school,” he said.
“Being the eldest is a big responsibility and my aim is to work hard for our family success.
His father, 45-year-old, Jagjiwan Vikash was full of praise for his eldest son. “Alokh is always obedient and commits himself to any duty given to him. I can vividly remember when he was class in four, he used to wake up at 4am with me to milk the cows and then he would sell milk by walking from from house to house. He is a hard worker,” Mr Vikash said.
He now looks forward to sending his children to school with the hope they will do him proud and be successful in their academic work.
“The cost of living is high, but I’m able to earn money from my goat and sugarcane farm,” Mr Vikash said.
“This is our source of income. I want to invest in my children’s education because I didn’t get that chance to have a good education,” Mr Vikash said.
Alokh’s mother Anjula Devi, 38, said the daily routine would be waking up early in the morning to make her children’s lunch and breakfast.
“I would do anything for my children’s education. Because of the discipline impacted on them at home they are able to excel academically,” she said.