Life of a woman is full of challenges and obstacles, right from shouldering household responsibility and commitments at home and managing fulltime at workplace. The life of a working woman is revolving and juggling with numerous responsibilities at work place, some of them are loaded with daily routine life at home. Many women are grinded between these two phases of life running behind office work and managing all domestic affairs. Previously women were educated for the sake of getting married to better candidates and starting new family. But, nowadays they utilize their education and skill productively. Here is a story of a village girl, Manjulata Mohanta, who struggles to reconcile her commitments for the family.

Manjulata, is a volunteer who serve as a connect between the school and parents. She supports the school teachers as well as parents in ensuring that children are regular in schools, not engaged in domestic work or whiling away time, they get school uniforms, bags, stationery, properly cooked mid-day meal, etc.

Manjulata was born and brought up in a farmer’s family along with five siblings – four sisters and one brother. Her father used to do agricultural work and daily wages work, and her mother is engaged in cooking midday meal in a government run primary school. From an early age, she understood the survival strategy like fighting back the poverty boldly and bravely. Despite financial hardship, she had completed her higher secondary education.

Her dream of studying higher education remained in halfway due to financial constraints. She was compelled to acquaint with daily labour work like, pond digging, iron rods lifting or cutting, leaf plates making, and continued to supplement her family income. During that period, she got a marriage proposal from her boyfriend having government job. Unfortunately, the young man betrayed Manjulata and created nuisance, even one day she was kidnapped by his friends and sexually abused and harassed for three days. After some days the kidnappers released her and threatened to kill her if she suits any Police case. Initially, she couldn’t sleep being plagued by nightmares. It became difficult for her to trust people. Due to heavy stress and depression she attempted to commit suicide by jumping to the waterfall at Bhimkund. But, the will of God was something else! Immediately some local people rescued her and admitted in hospital.  She got a new life!

Two local UP School teachers namely Mr. Biswanath Bindhani and Mr. Nalaraj Sethy counselled Manjulata to overcome from the tragedy. She got engaged in different co-curricular activities of the school. In 2007, she found a job in ‘Pratham Odisha’ as Block Coordinator where she was facilitating training to Cluster Resource Coordinators on teaching techniques. She became independent and self-reliant when received handsome monthly salary. She could spend some amount of money on her sisters’ study and marriages. She reflects, “Now, I am self-reliant, earning through a dignified job and living an independent life. Why should I go for suicide instead of giving back to society using whatever I have learnt, getting a new life?’’

In 2010, she resigned from Pratham Odisha and applied for a job in government sector but could not succeed. Then she joined CYSD as a ‘Community Teacher’ in its Child Development Project at Thakurmunda for girls’ impact education program. At the closure of impact education program, she was recognized as the best teacher out of 36 teachers.

Then, she was involved in “Combatting Child Domestic Labour” program of CYSD, as community volunteer-teacher and assigned to look after Benuadhar village of Bhaliadal Gram Panchayat, Thakurmunda. For easy and better monitoring purpose, she used to stay with the community people. Having long experience in education systems, she applies those in community special coaching centers. She has been guiding and counseling young girls regarding menstrual hygiene and sex education to protect themselves from harmful diseases.

Due to single, sometime people of her community pass filthy comments, but this does not make any different for Manjulata. She reconciles to live alone. She is determined not to tie the knot, because she knows the art of living without a man’s support. She owns a motorcycle for movement, has saved some money in bank and able to support her family out of her monthly income.

Moreover, Manjulata is well capacitated in the area of interpersonal development which helps her leading a confident and dignified life in the social sector. She has drawn a bead on awareness building of youth to respect women and protect young girls.

Manjulata says, “I don’t wish people to look at me and feel pity. Like a light, the time will pass away.  I’m still alive. I thank God for giving me such lesson! And I want to help prevent this not to happen anyone else.”