Kumodini’s story reflects the deep seated societal mores and attitude against women on one hand. On the other, it shows the immense courage and strength of character that is hiding just underneath the surface of each of these women.
Kumodini lives in the village of Maharamau, in the Umao district of UP. At the age of 21 years, her life seemed to have all the ingredients for it to be a perfectly happy one. In keeping with the norms of the society Kumodini was married off immediately after she finished her graduation in Sociology. She devoted her days looking after her house and taking care of her husband and his family. All was perfect in her life till she delivered her first baby – a girl child.
In most villages of India, a girl child is still not welcomed and is considered a burden on the family. Overnight Kumodini’s life changed. Her loving husband and in-laws now started torturing her for not ‘giving’ them a son and demanded more dowry from her hassled parents. Like many women in her situation, Kumodini did not have the courage to face the society as a single mother and so continued to bear the regular torture and beating from her husband and in-laws.
One day, to add insult to injury, Kumodini’s husband took her and his daughter back to her parent’s house and left them there. Coming back to parent’s home after marriage is considered the utmost disgrace for both the girl as well as her parents. Unable to bear the ridicule of her neighbors, Kumodini became a recluse.
At that time, Pratham was mobilizing volunteers for their summer camps in her village. For Kumodini, this opportunity came as a new ray of hope in her life. After several meetings with the representatives of Pratham, she joined as an unpaid volunteer for the summer camp. Her only motivation was to prove her worth to herself and to those around her. Kumodini continued to work for Pratham even after the summer camps were over. After a year of committed work, she was recruited by Pratham as their trainer monitor.
Today, Kumodini not only contributes to her family’s income but has also enrolled her daughter in a private school 5kms away from home. Sending her little daughter everyday to school in an autorickshaw is a mark of tremendous courage for an average girl from a village of India. Kumodini now wants to do her Masters in Social Work. From a girl who couldn’t speak in front of others, Kumodini has transformed into a woman who has the confidence to face the society, and take independent decisions in her and her daughter’s life.
Kumodini lives in the village of Maharamau, in the Umao district of UP. At the age of 21 years, her life seemed to have all the ingredients for it to be a perfectly happy one. In keeping with the norms of the society Kumodini was married off immediately after she finished her graduation in Sociology. She devoted her days looking after her house and taking care of her husband and his family. All was perfect in her life till she delivered her first baby – a girl child.
In most villages of India, a girl child is still not welcomed and is considered a burden on the family. Overnight Kumodini’s life changed. Her loving husband and in-laws now started torturing her for not ‘giving’ them a son and demanded more dowry from her hassled parents. Like many women in her situation, Kumodini did not have the courage to face the society as a single mother and so continued to bear the regular torture and beating from her husband and in-laws.
One day, to add insult to injury, Kumodini’s husband took her and his daughter back to her parent’s house and left them there. Coming back to parent’s home after marriage is considered the utmost disgrace for both the girl as well as her parents. Unable to bear the ridicule of her neighbors, Kumodini became a recluse.
At that time, Pratham was mobilizing volunteers for their summer camps in her village. For Kumodini, this opportunity came as a new ray of hope in her life. After several meetings with the representatives of Pratham, she joined as an unpaid volunteer for the summer camp. Her only motivation was to prove her worth to herself and to those around her. Kumodini continued to work for Pratham even after the summer camps were over. After a year of committed work, she was recruited by Pratham as their trainer monitor.
Today, Kumodini not only contributes to her family’s income but has also enrolled her daughter in a private school 5kms away from home. Sending her little daughter everyday to school in an autorickshaw is a mark of tremendous courage for an average girl from a village of India. Kumodini now wants to do her Masters in Social Work. From a girl who couldn’t speak in front of others, Kumodini has transformed into a woman who has the confidence to face the society, and take independent decisions in her and her daughter’s life.
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