Sampa is determined to reach her goals despite all odds

Sampa’s home seemed to be a full house of activity with her two younger brothers playing outside with a dog and two other brothers repairing a cycle. Her mother came outside to sit with us while they all watched. Putul was not able to give much detail about Shampa’s studies, she called her daughter from inside. Sampa puts up a confident demeanour that belies the struggles that she faces in order to pursue her education and fulfill her career dreams. Currently in her final year of M.A in history, she is a path-breaker in her family of 9, which comprises of her 5 brothers and sister. Three brothers are still in secondary school while one runs a snack stall and another works in the nearby town. Her sister was married and had studied only up to Class 7. She is the only one who chosen to study this far and her love for the subject of history is one of the reasons. After completing her B.A in History, she chose to continue further studies with a Masters form the local branch of Rabindra Bharathi University. "The loan amount helped us to pay for her admission and tuition fees and also for the purchase of a few books", as said by Putul. She has also kept some of the money aside for future exam fees. Even while studying, she is still worried about what the future holds for her. After having given the Teacher Eligibility Test recently, the state government had made a B.Ed qualification necessary for teachers, rendering her ineligible for this. Taking a B.Ed is a difficult proposition, considering the additional expenses involved for the family. She also gave an eligibility exam for clerical posts. Even the cost of appearing for these tests are inhibiting for families like hers. But although faced with these uncertainties, she still has bright hopes and concludes our conversation by saying that they can make loan repayments by small installments but if they are somehow able to get money for paying for educational expenses, it would be of great help.