'Little star shines brightest' - read the words emblazoned on the orange frock of a girl at Government LP School in Mudiyoorkara, Kottayam, on the first day of the academic year. She sat with eyes wide open, her one arm holding a white balloon and the other clutching the chair. Her lips parted in wonder as the teachers sang, danced and greeted her warmly with flowers. Thus began the first day of Behsa Karimi, a five-year-old girl from Afghanistan, who joined Class 1 as the school’s first foreign student.

Behsa, the daughter of Mohammad Fahim Karimi and Ellaha Zahir, hails from Herat City in Afghanistan. She arrived at the school with her parents and one-year-old brother, Bahar Karimi. 

"She was very active and energetic. She chatted in English with the other students and spoke fluently with teachers as well," said headmistress Sindhu K. Since Behsa knows only English, Dari, Urdu, and a little Malayalam, the teachers are making their best efforts to communicate with her. The school is 113 years old.

"We even gave her the honour of lighting the lamp for the 'Praveshanolsavam' (school induction ceremony), which was attended by local body officials and police and education department representatives. She was cheerful, excited and confident — unlike many kids who are usually shy on their first day," Sindhu added.

The Karimi family had earlier visited the school to enquire about admissions before enrolling Behsa. She also received welcome gifts along with other students and wore a specially made hat for the occasion.

Behsa previously attended SH Mount Public School for LKG and UKG. The family recently moved to a housing board colony in Gandhinagar North, within Kottayam Municipality, making Mudiyoorkara school a more convenient option — just 1 km from their home. "Earlier, it took her over an hour to reach school. Now, she can simply walk and even go along with her new friends," said Fahim.

Fahim came to Kerala in 2021 to pursue a postgraduate degree in Business Management at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. Due to visa delays, he initially arrived alone, bringing his wife and daughter a month later. The family has since settled in Kottayam, and Fahim is now pursuing a PhD at the same university.

"I chose India because I heard good things about the country. I knew of Mahatma Gandhi, and randomly picked this university named after him. I also knew a few Afghans studying in Kerala — in Calicut and Kerala universities,” he said. “Now, my daughter studies here too. She’s quick to learn new languages and is already picking up Malayalam. She loves painting — it’s her favourite thing to do — and she’s doing well in her studies.”

Fahim added, “Sometimes she says she wants to become a doctor, but painting is what she enjoys the most. Even on her first day, she made a new friend.”

Headmistress Sindhu said the school is well-equipped to support children who don’t know Malayalam. “We already have five students from Bihar, whose parents work as migrant labourers nearby. They only spoke Hindi when they joined, but quickly picked up Malayalam. Their handwriting is excellent now, and interestingly, our Malayali students are learning Hindi from them too,” she said.