Pushparani comes from a single parent household of 4. Surviving on no more than $68 per month, Pushparani belongs to a community categorized as “most backward class” by the Indian government, on the basis of 11 criteria, including economic, social and educational categories. Her family has struggled to put Pushparani through her first year of Nursing. But now, without help, Pushparani is in danger of losing her dream.
Take a listen to Tiala, Tiyara's first graduate, now employed at the National Institute of Information Technology in India.
Monika enjoys listening to songs, playing carom board, painting and participating in quizzes. The oldest of four, Monika aspires to complete her degree in Nursing to care for the sick and her own family. Ever since her father abandoned them, Monika’s mother has been working as a day laborer, a struggle since the outbreak of COVID-19. Despite constitutional protections, Monika and the 160 million people known as Dalits or “oppressed” are denied equal access to education, financial resources, places of worship and housing among other rights because of their caste.
Pursuing a Bachelors in Nursing, Lakshmi scored at the top of her class in high school and enjoys reading. But coming from a community known as Dalits, a word which means “oppressed”, breaking the cycle of social injustice and its consequences are an uphill battle. Lakshmi comes from a family of five. Her father is a daily wager and her mother is a housemaid.