Studying in class IX, Swathi lives with her family in dire conditions, where even the basic necessities are barely met. Challenging financial conditions led to her eldest brother dropping out from school and might have forced her to get married at a young age. In a society where girls are married off early, to cut down on the family’s economic burden, Swathi had been promised in marriage to her own maternal uncle as part of a common custom in Southern India. But the Project Nanhi Kali team came to the rescue when theirtracking system flagged off Swathi’s absence in class and got the team to intervene and stop this from happening. The team had to take determined steps in order to stop the marriage. They made visits to her home and counseled her parents against the perils of getting their daughter married at such a young age. Finally, the parents agreed to postpone the marriage until she became of legal age to conduct the ceremony.
Swathi remained unfazed by this crisis. She strengthened her resolve to pursue her education and live her dream of becoming a Doctor. All that such grit and determination needs is the support to continue studying without any financial worries or social pressures. . We all can help in this journey, if we wish to. Education will then, no longer be just a dream.