Poverty hobbles her hope of education

S K Sugandhi, a student of BEML Composite College, here has secured 98.24 pc (614) in SSLC and stands top in the district. She is ranked ninth in the State.

However, abject poverty at home has deprived her of even the joy of celebrating her successs.

Sugandhi, a resident of Urigaumpet, bought text books, with earnings from the tuitions she conducted at home and help from classmates and neighbours.

To support her family, she conducted tuition classes both in the morning and evening, for primary and high school students. Sugandhi’s father is mentally retarded while her mother is a heart patient.

Her sister, Jayanthi, who secured 96 per cent a few years ago in the SSLC, conducts tuitions for SSLC students. The family is solely dependent on the meagre earnings from the daughters’ tuition classes.

Though Sugandhi’s mother tongue is Tamil, she has scored 99 in Kannada. She has also won many prizes in State and national-level talent competitions. She has also secured 11th rank in the national-level Maths competition.

Helping hand

The family, however, has some sympathisers. The owners of the house in which the family resides, Murugan and his wife Damayanti, a retired teacher, have rented the house for a low sum.

The couple even encouraged the girls to conduct tuition classes. MLC Narayanaswamy, recognising the effort of Jayanthi, has agreed to bear her education expenses.

A few private colleges in Kolar have offered free education to Sugandhi. But her mother is wary as the family is dependent on her earnings for survival.