For Mahalakshmi (18), who had come out with flying colours by scoring 1142 marks out of 1200 in the Plus Two examinations after being rescued as a child labour, the future looks grim as her family is not in a position to meet the huge expenditure of higher studies.
No one expected her to score such high marks in the all important Plus Two examinations when she was rescued by the “We Trust”, a non governmental organisation, from a house as a servant maid in 2009. She had then discontinued from Class VII. After studying in a child labour school at airport, which was supported by the National Child Labour Policy (NCLP) for six months, Mahalakshmi was enrolled as a regular student in the Tiruchirappalli Corporation High School at airport, where she attracted the attention of many by scoring 473 marks in the SSLC examinations in spite of abject poverty of her family. Considering her acumen in academic performance, Vinayaka Higher Secondary School, Namakkal, offered free education for two years, where she once again proved her academic excellence in the Plus Two examinations.
Belonging to the Scheduled Caste community, her mother Kalaivani (41) is the sole bread winner of the family since her husband had passed away about 11 years ago. Working as a “sithal” (female construction worker), she needs to meet both ends with the paltry daily wage of Rs.250 besides paying monthly rent of Rs.600 for the single room asbestos house on Pattathammal Street near airport here.
“I do not know how to meet the education expenditure of my daughter with my meagre earning. Her future will depend upon help from philanthropists and the government. I hope some kind hearted persons will come forward to help her studies,” Ms. Kalaivani told The Hindu after getting an application for the MBBS counselling.
Collector K.S. Palanisamy had words of praise of her when Mahalakshmi was introduced to him at the Collectorate by officials of NCLP on Monday. Besides enquiring about her future plan, he promised her to do the best for pursuing higher studies.
The future looks grim as the family is not in a position to meet
the huge expenditure of her higher studies
