During the ASER 2023 cycle, my colleague and I set out early in the morning to visit "Bhikki," a village in Mandi Bahauddin, for monitoring the ASER survey exercise. The route to "Bhikki" was incredibly picturesque, adorned with lush greenery and scenic views (cutting down crops), a sight unseen in the bustling city. The journey proved to be a feast for the eyes. We reached our destination by 11:30 am and met with our coordinator and enumerators. Upon our arrival in Mandi Bahauddin, we were warmly welcomed by Fakhira, who guided us to our enumerators conducting the survey. The village's layout was unique, with streets covered by tent-like cloths, resembling festive decorations. Despite it being a weekday (Friday), a local holiday was observed in Punjab due to a "Pink Eye" outbreak. Consequently, our initial focus was on visiting households, as schools were closed.

The people of "Bhikki" displayed remarkable hospitality, insisting on providing us with lunch despite our polite refusals. During our interactions, I had the opportunity to speak with a person who also happened to be the headteacher at the local government school. We discussed the facilities and the quality of education in the school. The infrastructure of the school is not in its best condition, but children are eager to go to school and they are also performing well in schools. In the street we saw children running towards the enumerator asking for their assessment as well. She also highlighted that parents are not much concerned with their children’s education, especially in government schools. Despite this we met some of the parents who were excited seeing their children doing assessments. They wanted their child to get quality education.

The conversation also touched on the trend in "Bhikki," where there was a growing inclination among residents to migrate to European countries for a better life. Families sending their children abroad experienced improved lifestyles and opportunities. After discussing ASER and enjoying lunch, we resumed our journey back to Lahore.