“We have a small boat now. But when I grow up, I will buy a big ship, and ask amma and appa to rest.”

Pradip’s parents make a living through boat riding in a small village of Khammam, Telangana, barely earning Rs. 3000 a month. As he grew up, Pradip too started accompanying his parents on their daily rides and would do odd jobs for people, earning a few extra rupees.

It took nearly three years of counseling and countless door to door visits by teachers from Mission Education at Telengana to convince Pradip’s parents to send him to school. They had not wanted to part with the little additional income that he had started bringing in. But in the end, when Pradip insisted, they could not say no to their son.

Now when Pradip goes with his parents on the boat rides and they hear him talking in English with the tourists, they can’t stop smiling. He has also started teaching some English words to his parents to help them deal better with the tourists.