Life Stories of Dalit Women in the Computer Diploma Program*
Geeta's Story:
S. Geetha lives with her parents and three sisters in Kudapattu village in the foothills of Jawad hills. Geetha's parents are from a middle class family and were dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Geetha was born to them as a fourth and healthy child. However, after one year of age, Geetha suffered from polio. As a result, her right leg became parlyzed making her handicapped [physically challenged]. Geetha's parents spent a lot of money taking her to doctors for treatment. But everything was in vain. Finally, the doctors assessed that Geeta was 60% paralyzed. With this disability, Geetha continued her studies and completed high school. Geetha also completed a three year diploma in computer science, a one year diploma in computer applications, desktop publishing and typewriting, and was in search of a suitable job.
Two of Geetha's older sisters were married. In the meantime, one of the relatives of Geetha's father took a bank loan for constructing a home. Geetha's father signed as a grantee for the loan amount and pledged his land. However, the relative did not repay the loan amount. The bank then auctioned the property of Geetha's father to recover the loan amount. All efforts to save the property failed and Geetha's parents lost their property. Family members were shocked at the incident. There was no income in the family to meet daily expenditures. With her technical and educational qualifications, Geetha started to search for a job. She did not have any success.
NGOs Intervention**:
During GLOW's community outreach, Geetha came to know of about the computer education opportunity for adolescent dropouts. She approached GLOW with her technical qualifications and applied for employment in the computer center. After a successful interview, Geetha was appointed as a member of the computer faculty. Geetha started to earn a monthly income to support her family.
Providing Geetha with a job opportunity to help young women has also helped her. With the help of Ananda Foundation USA, Geetha started to earn a monthly income and supported her family during a critical time. Presently, her family is leading a normal life. Such change among girls in the weaker sections of the community can be brought about with the assistance of continued support from donors to help women living below the poverty line, through educational initiatives such as the computer diploma program as well as involvement in income generation activities, both of which contribute to a better life for themselves and their families.
* Written by Mr. Annadurai, Executive Director GLOW India.
**NGO (nongovenrnental organization)
Hear the voices of these young women.
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