The month-long summer vacation is being greeted with gratitude by parents in the rural parts of the country. The long summer break means more helping hands for them.
The month of July is one of the busiest times of the year for farmers across the country. With so much to do in their fields, an extra pair of hand is always appreciated.
For these farmers overwhelmed with farm work, there is nothing like having their children home for a longer period to help them. Sonam Jamtsho, a class eight student of Wamrong Lower Secondary School has been helping his parents by looking after the family’s cattle, collecting firewood and fetching drinking water.
“In the previous years, the summer break was short, so we were not able to be of much help to our parents,” said Sonam Jamtsho. “But now with longer summer holidays, we are able to do a lot to ease the workload of our parents.”
Tshering Nidup, another student of Wamrong Lower Secondary School, is also happy for being able to lend a helping hand to his parents. “It’s a busy time of the year for our parents and I am happy to be able to help,” he said.
Kinley Bidha, a student of Moshi Primary School in Wamrong, sees her time home as an opportunity to pay back to her grandmother. “She cooks and packs my lunch for school every day,” Kinley Bidha said. “It’s my turn now to cook and wash for her. I also help by collecting fodder for our cattle,” she added.
Apart from helping their parents with farm works and household chores, some students are working for others to earn money, which they will use to cover their school expenses. Nima of Jampeling Central School in Kanglung is one of them. “I work in a saw mill,” he said. “I am happy because I am making money.”
Parents shared that in the past, an adult from the family had to stay home to cook meals and feed the cattle. But this time, they were all able to go out to work in the fields. “Our children took care of the household chores, which meant we could be out in the fields working all day long,” said Karchung.
