By News18

Copyright news18

What if your very first day of school came not at age 4 or 5, but at 70 or even 90? Sounds unusual, right? But, in a small village in Maharashtra’s Thane, this is exactly what has been happening for nearly a decade now. Every afternoon, grandmothers draped in bright pink sarees walk to class, school bags in their hands and dreams in their eyes.
Welcome to Aajibaichi Shala, the Grandmothers’ School, where learning has no age limit. The journey began in March 2016 on International Women’s Day when a group of elderly women expressed a heartfelt desire, “We want to read religious texts ourselves.” Local zilla parishad teacher and activist Yogendra Bangar heard them and decided to open a school for them, according to an Instagram post.
With help from the Motiram Dalal Charitable Trust, Bangar set up a single-room school. The trust provided a blackboard, logistics and even designed the pink saree uniform, while Bangar took it upon himself to buy supplies and pay for utilities like chalk sticks and pencils.

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Pink Sarees And Courage
When the school opened, it had 27 students, all aged between 60 and 90, as per a report by Hindustan Times. Many had never held a pencil before. Some struggled with poor eyesight, trembling hands or hearing difficulties. Yet, nothing stopped them. Rain, pain, or age, these grandmothers turned up every day despite many obstacles.
Inside the classroom, alphabets were practised, multiplication tables repeated and nursery rhymes sung aloud, often followed by laughter and applause. The pink saree soon became more than a uniform and turned into a symbol of pride, courage and second chances for them.
Sitabai Deshmukh, one of the students in the school, earlier told Hindustan Times, “Never in my long life had I thought I would get a chance to go to a school.” She added, “When I was young, my family was poor and girls didn’t have the chance to go to school. I have had a new life for the last year.”
Anushka, her granddaughter, loves helping her with homework. She added, “We have fun studying together,” she says with a giggle.
‘I Feel Proud’: Founder Of Trust
For Dilip Dalal, founder of the Motiram Dalal Charitable Trust, watching these women learn is deeply moving. Earlier, he was quoted by HT as saying, “I feel proud watching the grandmothers taking part in such an occasion, that too as students.”
Interestingly, families also have a huge role to play in the education of these elderly women. The post also shared that the grandchildren of these women often pack their bags, dropping them off at school, extending their support.
The success of Aajibaichi Shala is inspiring other villages too. Because in this school, age is not a barrier, but a badge of honour.