A heartwarming surprise unfolded at the pravesanolsavam (school entry celebration) held on Tuesday at the government LP school in Mudiyoorkkara, Kottayam—one of Kerala’s oldest primary schools established in 1911. Among the 16 children joining Class 1 was six-year-old Behsa Karimi, a native of Afghanistan, who quickly became friends with her new classmates.
Behsa is the eldest daughter of Mohammed Fahim Karimi from Kabul and Ellaha Sahir. Fahim moved to Kottayam four years ago to pursue business studies research at MG University. The couple also has a younger son, Bahar Karimi.
Sindhu K, the school’s headmistress, shared that while children of many guest workers have studied here before, this is the first time a foreign student has enrolled. Behsa’s command of English impressed teachers, who have been communicating with her primarily in English. Besides English, she fluently speaks Afghani and Urdu.
Shalini K Lakshmanan, a Class 1 teacher, noted that last year seven children of guest workers joined the same class. The school has four teachers handling Classes 1 to 4 and two for nursery.
Behsa’s family lives nearby, which influenced their decision to enroll her here. On Tuesday morning, the headmistress and teachers welcomed Behsa warmly with flowers as she stepped into the historic school with her parents, marking a beautiful moment of cultural connection.