One of three children, Sudha’s parents, both daily wage labourers, lived in abject poverty. Her father would climb palm or coconut trees to prune them, while her mother worked in sugarcane fields.
Their financial struggles led to Sudha and her sister being sent to their grandparents’ home when she was just four years old.
With no proper guidance, she failed in classes five, six, and seven. Her siblings discontinued their education, but for this 40-year-old, giving up was never a choice.
“My mother wanted at least one of us to study ahead. She said that education was the only way to grow in life. I, too, am a strong believer of that. It is a tool to move ahead in life and achieve economic freedom,” she shares.
Sudha returned home after class seven, and fortunately, the school had a new headmaster who guided her, helping her clear class 10 with flying colours.
However, financial difficulties continued, driving Sudha to work before and after school in the sugarcane fields.
After class 12, while her sister got married, Sudha used the money meant for her marriage to pursue her BEd and MSc degrees.
“Everyone was pressuring me to get married. I wanted to complete my higher education first and earn well to support my family. I asked my mother to give me half the money that she had saved for my wedding and jewellery for my BEd degree,” Sudha says.
From then onwards, there was no looking back. Sudha completed her BSc and MSc, becoming not only the first graduate but also the first person to matriculate from her family.