Nikhil's Newfound Ambition

- by Malav Shah

Nikhil Kumar Tirupathi Uppula is a 20 year old boy from a small village in the southern part of Maharashtra in the district of Gadchiroli. Nikhil lost his father just 6 months after his birth. He now lives with his mother and grandmother. His mother, being the sole bread winner in the family, works as a labourer in a construction company near her village earning Rs. 2000 a month for the family. Nikhil was always very enthusiastic about his studies but he failed his 10th examinations due to the burden of family responsibilities. Thus, he took a year off to work at a Border Road Organization(BRO). Post this, he went back to study and passed his 10th examination with flying colours. Though he wanted to study further, he knew that his mother could no longer support him. He simultaneously worked as a carpenter to finance his education.

Sandhya's Self Determination

- by Janie Lee

18-year old Sandhya did not let anything get in the way of continuing her education and pursuing her career. Coming from a family whose beliefs are strongly traditional and conservative, Sandhya faced much opposition when she told her parents that she wanted to take a vocational skilling course and become a bedside assistant. Her father serves in the military and her mother is a housewife. Both of them had never heard about the occupation and were deeply concerned about the foreign concept of her working on her own.