RURAL MAHARASHTRA

Presently working as a program officer at LetsEndorse organization in Yavatmal district, to promote the micro-entrepreneurs in Maharashtra, Mamta Madavi, aims to work for her community, women empowerment, and child education. Mamata (23) has completed her MA (Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship) studies at TISS, Tuljapur.

Residing in Talni village of Yavatmal district, her village is a home to various communities such as Hindus, Muslims, ST, SC, OBC, Bodh, and Banjara to name a few.

Born in the Gond community, Mamta is proud that her parents are very supportive of child education.

“Both my parents have supported me and my siblings to study whatever we want to. My mother is my backbone. She motivates me to study further and without her, I wouldn’t have gone for higher studies. My parents never let our family’s financial crisis be a barrier in their children’s education.”

Mamata is the eldest among her siblings, she has a younger brother, who is studying BSW, and a younger sister learning nursing in the Yavatmal district.

While she studied in a zilla parishad school of her village, for junior college she traveled to Akola village in Yavatmal.

“Being good in studies, I wanted to pursue my career in the science field. I took admission in science during my junior college. After HSC, I also appeared for the JEE exam as I wanted to be an engineer. The fees in engineering colleges were not affordable for me. Looking at the poor financial condition, I later decided to take admission in B.Sc. Even if the fees for the B.Sc course were less in comparison to the engineering course, still it wasn’t affordable. Within a few months, I dropped out of college.”

Her father works as a contract worker on other’s farms and earns around Rs. 40,000 annually. With the help of a villager, Mamata explored BSW as an affordable option to study further.

“After dropping out of B.Sc and taking a few months gap, I enrolled in a BSW course in the next academic year. I learned about the course and what career I can pursue in the future,” added Mamta.

She says, “The idea of working for women and empowering them economically came to me during my graduation days. I began to think about creating a platform for women in my village where they can do their own businesses and be independent financially. I wish every girl would study and go for higher education instead of getting married at an early age. I want to initiate self-help groups, vermicomposting, small-scale business, poultry farming, etc. to fight against unemployment and exploitation.”

Mamta is the first BSW graduate in her village who completed her undergraduate degree. She has always been a bright student.

“My relatives and neighbors encouraged me to study further. They have always told my parents that their children are good in studies and these children should be motivated for higher studies.”

She admits that her engagement in social work degree has given her sufficient avenues to learn about society on the ground.

She says, ‘My social work experiences have improved my knowledge and skills on village development through fieldwork activities. It has enhanced my understanding on issues of superstition, addiction, ill health/healthcare, school dropouts, domestic violence, and displacement of tribals during BSW rural camps.”

With the help of Pandit Dindyal Upadhyay Yojana, she managed to complete her BSW. “I managed to take care of the cost of my food and other expenses with the help of this scheme. Or else it would have been difficult to survive. I am lucky to be surrounded by good people. Few of my seniors helped me financially to cover my fieldwork expenses during the second year of BSW.”

While she was planning about her higher studies during her second year of BSW, she was aware of the Eklavya team mentoring the final year students.

“I was aware of Eklavya but didn’t know about their work. During the final year of my degree, I met Raju Kendre and the team in my college. After a round of introduction and knowing how they help needy students, I decided to join the batch.”

With the help of Eklavya, she learned about different institutes and the courses they offer. She was guided about the application process, scholarships, etc. This became a vital experience to move forward towards higher education.

“The mentors helped us to prepare ourselves for the exams and personal interviews. They guided us to solve previous years' questions and face the interview without fear. They also conducted mock interviews, and helped us to practice English speaking and writing.”

She adds, “The Eklavya team gave me professional support throughout my struggle for the entrance exam. It is my guiding star. The organization also convinced my father of my potential for higher studies and scholarships.”

Mamta cleared her entrance exam on the first attempt and got admission to TISS Tuljapur campus for M.A (Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship). Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she discontinued her first year’s internship at Latur and came back home due to lockdown.

“While studying digitally was tough, I didn’t have any other choice. The institute gave me a second-hand laptop, but it stopped functioning. The repair cost of the laptop is not affordable for me. So, with the help of Eklavya, I managed to get a smartphone through which I attended my lectures and completed my post-graduation degree.”

Mamata is yet to pay her M.A course fees in her college. While she has started working now, she hopes to soon clear her college fees and work for the betterment of society.