Nanhikali Nirmala

This is the story of a Nanhi Kali Nirmala staying with her parents in Ganjayiguda village about 15 km away from the block headquarters of Arakku valley district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The village is a tribal dominated village. The livelihoods of the people depend upon agriculture and daily wages. Most of families’ incomes are below poverty line. They are unable to afford any educational facilities for their children, in fact, not even the basics such as notebooks or pencils.  The village is in a remote area and has no drinking water facility. They have to travel about two kilometers daily to another village to bring water. There are no roads and neither is power supply available in the village.

Nirmala has 5 sisters. Her parents works as agricultural labors. They gather wood, straw reeds and palm leaves from the forest and sell in the local market.

Nirmala became a Nanhi Kali when she was in STD IV. After one year of becoming a Nanhi kali, she appeared for the Andhra Pradesh residential school test. She obtained a seat in STD V in Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare Residential School. She continued her studies in the same school till STD X and topped the school!

She appeared for the Andhra Pradesh Residential Junior College examination and got a seat in the Intermediate. She also appeared for the School of Excellence Examination and got admission. Now she is studying in standard XI in the same college.

Well Done Nirmala!