Manbhar Devi - Rajasthan

Some age-old conventions can change by a change in outlook. 41-year-old Manbhar Devi from Rajasthan encouraged her daughter-in-law Kiran to pursue 10th-grade examination by enrolling her in Pratham's Second Chance Program. Kiran dropped out of school to help support her family at home and soon got married. She got busy with her household duties when her mother-in-law motivated her to make the most of this opportunity. Kiran stood first in her class at the Pisangan centre. Her happiness was contagious. It motivated Manbhar Devi to enrol in the next batch and attempt to clear 10th-grade.

Although Manbhar Devi was finding it difficult to get familiar with the syllabus and the routine of studying, she kept moving ahead. She enrolled three more women with her at the centre. She would juggle between her work as a helper in an Aanganwadi, her household chores and the class. She would participate in all the activities in the class. Manbhar Devi secured a position among the top ten scorers of Pisangan centre.

The duo of daughter-in-law and mother-in-law helped each other through their exams. They took turns to complete household activities. Both of them managed to break the preconceived notion of marital restrictions of women in India. Manbhar Devi had faced a lot of restrictions from her mother-in-law, and hence she ensured that Kiran would not suffer the same ordeal. While Kiran is planning to pursue further studies, Manbhar Devi is rejoicing her success.