Scholarship for six girls
Hope Unlimited supports six girls with a scholarship. The students, who come from the most marginalized communities in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu, were identified with the help of Action Aid. The six are: Mahalaksmi, Angel, Iniya Merlin, Mary Pavithra, Narghees Banu and Saranya. Here are some of their stories.
Mahalakshmi is a 15-year-old girl studying in the 10th grade. Her father, Settu, works as a daily wage labourer earning Rs.200 a day. Her mother, Pachaiyammal, also works as a daily wage worker. The family, which belongs to the Irular tribal community, lives close to a forested area in Chetpet Taluk of Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. The family along with other members of the community live in thatched huts without access to piped water, electricity and there is no proper road to their settlement.
Mahalakshmi’s elder brother Madhavan is in Class XI and her younger sister Suriya is in Class VIII.
Mahalakshmi is a keen athlete and takes part in shotput, long jump, and high jump competitions. She does well in class and gets good grades. Mahalakshmi's father, however, believes that education is not necessary for his children. Also, the adults in the tribal community frequently move from one location to another in search of food and work and the children are engaged in fishing and hunting to earn a living, which affects their schooling. Mahalakshmi’s mother, however, wants her children to be educated and set an example for all the kids in their community. Mahalakshmi said: “At school, only books are provided. My father doesn’t have the money to buy even notepads, pens and other material for school.”
Angel is a 14-year-old girl studying in Grade 9. Her father, Anandhan is a daily wage worker earning around Rs. 2000 a month. Angel has a younger sister, Esther, aged 12. The family lives in a rented house in Desur village situated in Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. Angel earlier went to a private school but had to transfer to a state-run school as her parents couldn’t afford to pay the tuition fee. Her father has resorted to taking loans to meet his family’s basic needs but is unable to pay back the debt. Angel is keen to continue her schooling. She says, “I want to continue my education and pursue higher studies.”
Iniya Merlin is in Grade 11. She and her family live in Lourdu Nagar in Chetpet town of Tiruvannamalai district, Tamil Nadu. Her father, Xavier, has been bedridden for the last two years following a paralytic stroke. The 15-year-old’s mother is the family's sole earning member earning between Rs.200 and Rs.300 a day. Iniya has a younger brother, Brito, who is in Grade 9 and an older sister, Benisha Jasmin, who is an undergraduate student. Iniya is good in academics. But the family circumstances make it difficult for her to stay in school. Her mother has barely any money to feed the family. Iniya, however, is keen to stay in school.
(July 2022)
