This story is from June 6, 2016

Yakshagana Kalaranga, NGO offer student housing aid

Supretha derives her immense strength from the many struggles that she has had to overcome. After obtaining 76% in her SSLC exams, she wanted to study the sciences since she aspired to pursue higher education in para-medical courses.
Yakshagana Kalaranga, NGO offer student housing aid
Udupi: At a time when all doors seemed to shut on Supretha Hiriyadka, 17, and a shot at higher education seemed like a distant dream, the Yakshagana Kalaranga came forward to offer the impoverished student education and house aid. Supretha, who lived with her mother and sister near the forest area had to trek a distance of one kilometre to reach school.
In between schooling, she worked at a cashew factory to augment her family's meagre income. The Kalaranga has now offered the girl a small house to ensure that Supretha continues her education.
Supretha derives her immense strength from the many struggles that she has had to overcome. After obtaining 76% in her SSLC exams, she wanted to study the sciences since she aspired to pursue higher education in para-medical courses.
However, conditions forced her to ta ke up commerce. Lalitha, Supretha's mother, wanted her to give up further education and join the cashew factory, like her sister, Suhasini. It was then that a neighbour, Divya, studying on a scholarship provided by Vidya Poshak, suggested that Supretha contact the organisation. After confirming Supretha's conditions, the NGO provided educational aid to help her study pre-university.
"My dreams vanished because the science college is one kilometre further away than my present college. My mother informed that bus fares would cost more if I attended the science college. I have now joined Paradoor Government PU College. I was crazy about joining para-medical courses since high school. It would have also given me an opportunity to work with health care systems. Now, I have to opt for a banking job," said Supretha.
The family, originally from Biloor, moved to Kukkehalli six years ago to get away from Supretha's drunkard father. "It was scary to walk for one km in the forest to go to school, but I had no option," she added, thanking Kalaranga and Vidya Poshak for their help.
Mutalidhat Kadekar, secretary, Vidya Poshak, said, "This is the fourth housing project we have undertaken for students. Our volunteers learned of the pathetic conditions that Supretha and her family lived in and decided to arrange for housing aid. Though she was allotted Rs 1.5 lakh under the Basava Vasanthi Yojana, no construction work had taken place since the amount was not released. Knowing that facing monsoons without a proper house would be tough for the family, we arranged for all basic needs within 15 days and also constructed a house with electrical connection, which cost more than Rs 3 lakh."
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