The One and Only: The first girl in her village to study 12th grade, she dreams of becoming a nurse!
Karishma stands outside her home in Adiwasiwadi with the goats from her goat farm
Karishma Raju Zore is a class 12 student in Mangaon’s Adiwasiwadi – an isolated tribal hamlet. Karishma’s school is about 4kms away from her home. Coming from a single parent household with very limited means, the young girl walks the distance every day to make sure she doesn’t miss her lessons. However, despite her commitment to completing her education, the road has been marked with tough challenges for Karishma.
Many challenges stood between Karishma and her education
Raised by a single mother since birth, money was always a struggle for Karishma. Her mother, who rears goats on a small scale, made not more than INR 50-60,000, annually. Even as a child, Karishma used to assist her mother in the housework and on the goat farm – something she continues to do till today. Her situation was grim as it is common for girls her age to abandon education for lack of funds and, in some cases, even be married very young. Despite securing 67% in her class 10 boards, Karishma was at the risk of dropping out of school herself.
Hope arrived in the form of Swades Mass Scholarship for education
In June 2021, Karishma’s dreams found a new lease of life through Swades Foundation’s Mass Scholarships. The scholarship enables young children to stay or re-enroll in school after 10th grade and complete their higher secondary education. Karishma was able to continue her education – securing 50 per cent marks in class 11. She has now taken up the Science stream and is studying in class 12.
Chasing her dreams and serving the village community
The only girl to have studied up until class 12 in her family, this is a very big milestone for Karishma and her mother. She dreams of graduating and becoming an ANM (Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery) or GNM (General Nursing Midwifery). Having seen the ANMs serving communities in her village, Karishma wants to take on the role and serve people in her village and beyond, in the same way.
Karishma also dreams of moving her mother out of her kachcha (mud) hut and into a pakka (concrete) home once she begins to earn. Karishma and her mother are grateful for the scholarship and the opportunity to dream beyond their means.
