A little girl was playing among women inmates inside Bilaspur Central Jail when a visiting district collector noticed her. For this child, the world had unusually high walls.The 6-year-old, identified as Khushi, had spent her young life inside the prison. Her father was serving a long sentence in jail, while her mother had died of jaundice when she was just 15 days old. With no one else to take responsibility for her, she was brought to the jail with her father.
28 Jul 2026 | 16:22
How do you teach children about money and financial responsibility?
The answer that changes Khushi’s life
According to The Better India, by the time the district collector, IAS officer Sanjay Kumar Alang, met her in 2019, she had spent years growing up in that environment. Her mother had died of jaundice when she was just 15 days old. “I was on a round to check the functioning of the jail when I spotted young Khushi, playing with the women inmates,” Alang told the outlet. “There was something adorable about her that begged me to inquire how she had landed in jail,” he added.While inquiring about Khushi’s family, Alang asked the little girl what she wanted to do in life. “Khushi told me that she wanted to study in a good school,” recalled Alang.
Photo courtesy: The Better India
Alang spoke to the jail administration and began looking for a way to get the child out of prison and into school. Jain International School in Bilaspur came forward to support her education and accommodation. A caretaker was also arranged for her initially.Today, little Khushi, who spent years inside a prison, stands inside a school campus- where a child belongs.
Children are born into circumstances they never choose
There is something deeply uncomfortable about Khushi’s story because it reminds us how easily a child’s world can be determined by circumstances over which they have no control. She did not choose to lose her mother as an infant. She did not choose her father’s circumstances. And she did not choose to spend her formative years behind prison walls. Yet, without someone stopping to notice her, that could have remained the world she knew.This is where her story holds an important lesson for parents. Children do not need to be born into perfect circumstances to thrive. But they do need adults who notice what they are missing- and, wherever possible, help open doors that they cannot open themselves.
Opportunity can change the way a child sees themselves
For a child, opportunities are not only about achievement. A school does not just teach mathematics, languages or science. It gives children a routine. It exposes them to people outside their immediate world. It allows them to play, compete, make mistakes, discover interests and build a sense of belonging. These experiences gradually help children form an idea of who they are.Khushi’s wish to study was therefore about much more than education. It was a desire to step into a world she had not yet experienced. And sometimes, giving a child an opportunity is simply giving them the chance to discover that there is a bigger world outside the one they currently know.
What parents can learn from Khushi’s story
Most parents will never face circumstances as extraordinary as Khushi’s. But the underlying lesson applies to everyday childhood too. It is easy to assume that a child will naturally discover their interests and abilities. Yet children often need adults to create those opportunities in the first place. That is why one of the most useful questions parents can ask is- “What would you like to try?” Just like the IAS officer was surprised by the 6-year-old’s answer, it’s likely you’ll be surprised by your child’s answer as well.
