Far from private English medium schools in India's cities where parents queue up overnight for forms and try everything in their power to get their children admitted to the best schools, in government-run schools like this one, girls are given lessons on topics that are taken for granted by privileged kids.
Lessons that are given through Meena -- a nine-year-old cartoon character, who propagates education, gender equality, denounces child marriage and child labour.
Developed by UNICEF to change perceptions and behaviour that hamper the survival, protection and development of girls, the programme was initiated in this school in 2005.
'Meena Manch' -- a group of girls from the school -- assembles twice a month to listen to Meena's story and discuss a topic that is relevant to girls in their community.
I am struck at the confidence of the little girls. One of them gets up and asks me to introduce myself, looking straight into my eyes.
Once the story with a moral is told for the day, the girls sing an educative song in Bhojpuri and display some karate kicks, their anklets ringing in unison with every kick.
The girls tell us that their sisters also go to school. They zealously tell us the story of how they were able to prevent the marriage of their 14-year-old school-mate by going and speaking to her parents and telling them about the demerits of child marriage.
How many of us would go and speak up for friends if injustice was being done to them, I wonder?
Image: Through stories of Meena, a cartoon character, the village girls learn about education, gender equality, demerits of child marriage and child labour. Inset: A glimpse of the school
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