Bangalore maid excels in exams, needs support to continue education

She scored 466/600 in her PU exams. This she did without dedicating enough hours for study.

Unlike other children of her age, Varamahalakshmi KV was not watching the cricket world cup series nor was she frequenting movie halls. Life, for her, was tough.

Having to take care of her mother and father, both of who are bid-ridden, she donned two roles— that of a student in Balaji PU College and that of a visiting housemaid mopping floors and washing vessels.

The money that she earned was used for her PU college expenses.

“My aim is to become a teacher, for which I want to complete my graduation. But I don’t have enough money to join college,” she said.

Varamahalakshmi’s family originally hails from Chamrajnagar. They settled in Bangalore a few years ago.

“I was in Class 7 when I shifted to Bangalore. It was my elder sisters’ decision. They wanted to provide me good education. They work in a garment factory. Although my sisters are earning, their salary is used for household expenses and for my parents’ hospital expenditure,” she said.

Unlike pre-university, gaining entry into a degree college is going to be challenging for the teenager, as colleges these days charge more fees or seek hefty donations.

“Somehow I finished my PU exams. The owner of the house where I am working helped me a lot in completing PU. But I got to know that more money is needed for a degree college. I will be extremely grateful if someone helps me financially,” she said.