Odisha: Bonda tribal girl who topped in Plus II commerce in 2022 works as daily wage-earner to meet edu expenses
By Surya Narayan Panda
Koraput, May 31: Karama Muduli, a 19-year-old girl belonging to the primitive Bonda tribe in Odisha’s Malkangiri district was in the limelight in 2022 for securing the district topper position in Plus II Commerce examinations by scoring 82.66 per cent. This year, she is again in the news, but for a different reason.
She is now working as a daily labourer under the scorching sun to meet her education expenses. She says her parents who work as daily wagers are unable to afford her education.
The only government assistance her parents are receiving is a meagre old-age pension of Rs 500 per month.
Although she is working as a daily labourer during the current summer vacation, Karma has not lost her conviction to pursue her studies to become an administrative officer in the future. She brims with strong willpower and self-motivation and shows no sign of shyness.
“I take pride in the fact that I’m working to meet my education expenses. After my Plus II results, a charitable trust came forward to help me realise my dream. They got me admitted into Rama Devi University in Bhubaneswar. But I found it a herculean task to meet the education cost as my family is very poor. With no option left, I chose to work as a daily labourer. I know without money I can’t fulfill my dream,” said Karama.
Karama is earning Rs 220 a day as her wage.
When asked how she spent one year in the University, her answer was more heart melting.
“At the university, there are rich girls. Seeing them I often thought about leading a lifestyle like theirs. I would eat what they are eating and I would wear what they are wearing. But then reality bites,” she added.
The charitable organization had given her set up copies or notebooks when they got her admitted at the University. Since she thought she could not buy new copies, she wrote down her notes with pencils on them to reuse them.
“Since I can’t afford to buy new copies, I would write in the notebooks with pencils, erase them and write again on them,” she said.
When asked if she would be able to fulfill her dream, she said, “Where there is will there is a way. If I try, I can make everything possible. In the coming days, I will definitely achieve my target of cracking the civil service exam.”
Not only Karama, a few other girls of her Bonda tribal community are also currently working as daily wage earners to meet their education costs.
