The Math lecture changed my life!

"My first experience of public speaking was in the Math lecture. While initially, I shivered, but when I realised that my answer was correct, I felt confident", Monica says to us when we visit her at her home at Ramkhiriya village in Jabalpur. She works at the village Aanganwadi and is a proud alumnus of Pratham's Second Chance Program. 

“I studied in my village government school till 4^th grade, and then my parents enrolled me in an all-girls school at Sepra. But I failed in the 9^th grade, and that was the end of my school life”, she begins her story.  

Monica liked to study, and she had thought of studying at least until 10^th grade. Moreover, her parents also felt that she should study and get a decent job. “My parents are labourers, and they feel I should not continue what they are doing. They desire a better life for me”, she says, as she gives us a glimpse of her family background.

With this baggage, nothing could have stopped Monica from completing her 10^th grade, but her failure to clear 9^th grade created a major roadblock. She lost confidence and completely gave up the idea of continuing 10^th grade. However, after a year, she heard of Pratham’s Second Chance Program, and she renewed her hopes of getting back to studies. She enrolled in the program and after a few days; she began to enjoy the experience.

“The best thing about the program is that it involves activities and they cover basic concepts”, she recalls. As she became more used to the classes, her confidence rose. “I began to ask more questions, something I never did in school. Initially, I was shy, but the Math lecture changed it all”, she says with a smile.

The Second Chance Program changed Monica’s life. She not only became happy after seeing her 10^th-grade mark sheet but also decided to continue her studies further. Though she got married in 11^th grade, her in-laws supported her, and she completed studies till 12^th grade. It widened her work opportunities, and she worked at Trident Abhishek for a year at Hoshangabad.

“I am a confident person now, and I never imagined that I would change so much! It all happened because I was given a chance to speak in that Math lecture of the Second Chance Program”, she smiles and completes narrating her story.