Roshini, Chennai

It’s Roshini’s birthday today: she turns 16. For the teenager, this should be a very special day and year but 2021 has been less than kind to the girl and her family. Roshini’s father died on May 5 unable to get oxygen support as he struggled with Covid in a hospital in north Chennai. Sadly, the father had voluntarily gone to the hospital in the hope that he wouldn’t pass on the virus to his wife and daughters. 

The father of two from Vyasarpadi in north Chennai had had many dreams and his life revolved around his two daughters. Chandrashekar rode an auto for a living and despite the meagre earnings was determined that his two daughters would go to a private school. The high cost did not deter him, his children’s education mattered. The first daughter has finished school and is doing a long distance under-graduate course. Roshini has just started Grade 12. The family was struggling already but the untimely death of the sole earning member meant that Roshini’s mother could no longer afford her daughter’s school fee. 

With a lockdown in place since May, Dhanalakshmi, a school dropout, had little chance of finding work. Even in this tough period, Dhanalakshmi is keen that Roshini finishes school and pursues her ambition of becoming a chartered accountant. On hearing Roshini’s story through a friend, Hope Unlimited has paid her school fee in full so she can focus on finishing school and hopefully, chase her dreams. 

(June 2021)