Krishnaveni is a student at Chennai High School and a surrogate mother to her siblings since the passing of their mother when she was in Class 5. Since then she has cooked for and taken care of her father, little sister and brother – all while going to school and helping out the family financially.
Her day begins at 5 am each morning with tasks to get her siblings ready for school. After her classes, Krishnaveni helps her father with chores to earn a small income and help contribute to her family’s finances.
Young Krishnaveni has learnt the skill of managing expenses and setting priorities, “My brother always wants toys and my sister asks for bangles. I am always happy to buy it for them, but only when basic needs like food and school necessities are available.” She credits her maturity to education and schooling. Unsurprisingly, Krishnaveni wants to become a teacher; she wishes to share her love of Tamil to children deprived of education.
Of all her daily tasks on school days, cooking is excluded thanks to the breakfast and mid-day meal service in school, “It eases my work at home. Here (in school) we get healthy food. I love the Rava Pongal.”
On #InternationalEducationDay and #NationalGirlChildDay, Akshaya Patra celebrates the spirit of the girl child by emphasizing the important role education plays in a girl’s life and the ripple effect it can have on their families, societies and communities.
