Rama Chandel (32 years)

I don’t know from where to start. I am having a lump in my throat as I speak. So, I was born into a very poor family in Bilaspur, Himachal. We are 3 sisters and a brother. My father has worked very hard since the early age of 11 years due to my grand fathers’ demise. He worked as a painter to earn a livelihood and to provide us with education from a government school. He never thought about himself but the family.

I was an average student in school. After completing my high school education, I chose medical as my major for senior secondary education. Although my mother never went to school, she has always been extremely supportive of our education and inspired me to pursue graduation from Bilaspur degree college. After that, I wanted to pursue B.Ed. but we didn’t have enough money. Co-incidentally around that time, we had sold our house to our relatives and with a part of that money, I was able to pursue my B.Ed. degree. I wished to study further but I knew I could not, so I started teaching at a private school for a salary of 2k p.m. I worked there for a year and during that time I got in touch with one of my schoolmates who was doing masters from a government university in Madhya Pradesh. She told me that masters from the university is very affordable, and one can easily secure a seat as well. I talked to my father regarding my admission to that university for masters in botany, but my father said that they don’t have money to send me for masters, which was true. Eventually, somehow my parents arranged the money to send me for masters.

After I completed my master, there was an untold pressure on me to get married but I always dreamt of doing something meaningful for my family before getting married. I decided to educate my siblings. I came back to my home and started looking out for teaching jobs. I got a job in school as a biology lecturer for INR 7k p.m. I was so delighted because I could see a hope to educate my siblings. I never spent that salary on myself and sent both my younger sisters to study for masters in botany from the same government university in Madhya Pradesh and my brother has also graduated recently.

I did not stop there, I started preparing for the government teaching job examination and in the meanwhile, my parents started nudging me continuously to get married because of which I could not clear the exam. But as it is said, if you have the zeal to work towards your goal with utmost honesty, you will always find a way no matter how much criticism you get. Finally I cleared the competitive exam on the 5th attempt and got selected in subsequent levels to be appointed as a TGT medical in the government senior secondary school, Thanedar.

I am married now, and it has been 3 years that I am working as a government teacher. I always wanted to tell the world my story that how we have grown ourselves from our roots. I have never imagined that I would reach this position in life.