Young Deepika has a reason to smile. She has completed her SSLC exams scoring 81 per cent.

Achieving this was not easy for Deepika. Born in a very poor family she was forced to discontinue her studies when she was in Grade 7. Constant insults and punishments by the teachers for not paying the school fees made education a forbidden fruit for her. Her dreams of studying well and hopes of becoming an architect came crashing when her parents pulled her out of the school.

But National Child Labour Project extended support to Deepika in continuing her studies in a private school in Tirupur. “Our family has suffered a lot. I faced several difficulties at home. But NCLP provided me the right ambience to pursue my dreams,” she beams.

Deepika is not alone. Gayathri from Karuvampalayam Government Higher Secondary School (who has scored 79 per cent) has a similar story to tell. Forced to stop schooling at the age of nine, she had to assist her mother who was earning just Rs. 2000. Her father had died when she was very young. The NCLP rescued her and ensured that she continued her education.

Interestingly Gayathri’s elder brother is also pursuing his education thanks to NCLP efforts.
According to Vijaya Kumar, project director, NCLP, Coimbatore, 20 students from Coimbatore and Tiurupur appeared for the exams this year. “The students are being continuously monitored so that they complete their education fully,” he remarked.