The Blossom Bus: Help Rural Girls Get To School!

In the 2022/23 academic year, all Blossom Busses hired staff to ride to school with the students each morning. Their job is to monitor attendance and make sure girls are getting on the bus, but also to act as older mentors, to inspire, encourage and support students to value their education and opportunities and to dream big. All our mentors are local young women and former Blossom Bus students, who have graduated and gone on to pursue further education and careers. Babita and Amita are sisters, and are two of the mentors for the Blossom Bus program. Babita is 25 years old and completed her master's degree in 2021. Her younger sister, Amita, 23, is  currently a first-year master's student. Both sisters share the common goal of becoming teachers. Their family has struggled financially with only a single income, as their father was in an accident that left him incapacitated. They have remained at home to help their family and currently live with their parents and four other siblings.

The Blossom Bus contractor Balbir knew of their situation, and recommended Babita and Amita for the job, as they were in need of a stable and consistent income in the village, and he knew them from 2013, when they were students riding on the bus. Balbir stated “Babita and Amita were in need of work and I couldn’t think of anyone better for the positions as these girls have been one of our oldest bus riders”. 

They were thrilled to take up the job, as it not only provided them with a stable income but also gave them the chance to mentor and guide the young girls on the bus. 

Even with their family’s financial situation, their father was at first reluctant to let them work. For Babita and Amita, however, their work was not just about taking attendance; it was about being a role model for other girls in their community. They were determined to show that every girl has the right to receive an education and live her dream, no matter what the circumstances. They were inspired at the opportunity to mentor these young women, as a stepping stone to their aspirations of becoming teachers. Their father finally agreed that they could work for Blossom Bus. 

On the bus, they discuss careers, family issues, and other topics with the girls, encouraging them to make thoughtful choices and have clear goals. We have seen the positive impact amongst students and are happy to be able to provide Babita and Amita this opportunity, so that they may stay committed to their dreams, even in the face of challenges and uncertainty. We hope that they may inspire the next generation of Blossom Bus riders to be equally determined and steadfast in their right to an education and their potential to affect change in their communities.