Durga said, "Most children rest or study on Sunday. Every Sunday, though, I went to work on another's farm so that I could earn enough to pay the fees for my SSC exam. That was the only cause of stress for me in the SSC academic year."
Most students study at home on their holidays, but Durga Nevhal (16) from Shirad Shahpur (Hingoli district) chose instead to work as a farm labourer in order to earn enough money to pay the fees for her SSC board examinations. When the results came out, Nevhal was ecstatic to know that she had scored 91.2%. In Maths, she had achieved a perfect score. But Nevhal knows this is just the beginning. If she is to make a white-collar career, she will need money for fees, which her family cannot afford.
Durga, a student of Shirad Shahpur Zilla Parishad School, lives with her mother and father. Her two elder sisters, Anita and Sunita, got married in 2006 without completing their education. Years ago, they lived in a small house measuring 10 by 10 ft, but in 2011 they were allotted a bigger place of 20 by 20 ft under a government scheme. Nevhal's father was a labourer, who stopped working four years ago because of health issues. This led to a decline in the family's income.
Durga said, "Most children rest or study on Sunday. Every Sunday, though, I went to work on another's farm so that I could earn enough to pay the fees for my SSC exam. That was the only cause of stress for me in the SSC academic year."
Her work as farm labourer fetches her Rs100 per day. Her straitened circumstances have placed numerous obstacles in the way of her studying peacefully. The family has taken an electric connection from a neighbour, but the power only comes on after 6.30pm. For this dubious privilege the family pays Rs100 a month.
Durga had to work because her father could not do so any longer. "After my father stopped working, it affected our monthly income. So I started working on a farm with my mother. After coming home from work, I would rest for two hours, sleep a little, and then start studying."
She had to tailor her work schedule around her work responsibilities, she said. "I never had fixed study time, but whenever I felt fresh I would study."
Her mother was not keen on her studying. Her mother felt that she should start earning immediately. "Because of our poor financial condition, my mother was not that keen on my studying, but it was out of sheer determination that I gave my SSC. Now she is happy. I have always come first in my school," Durga said.
She aspires to make a career in science, but she is aware that her family cannot afford to educate her. "Now my aim is to take admission in the Science field, but that can happen only if I get financial help from the government," she said.
There are only Arts and Commerce colleges near her area. To pursue further studies in science, Nevhal will have to go Aundha taluka, which is distant. She wishes to prepare for her IAS exams, too.
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