Manju Kumari

The 27 year old Manju Kumari of Geregaon village in Gaya district, grew up in a household with a very bleak financial situation where sometimes, there was no food to put on the table. Out of all her siblings, Manju particularly was really interested in studies. However, she could only study till the 12th grade as for higher education; she would have required more money and resources, which were not available at her disposal.

At the age of 8, she endured major burns on her body because of dropping a kerosene filled dia (lamp) on herself. Although, as a child filled with innocence, she did not realize that burn marks were perceived in a certain way by the society. Today, she does feel the weight of her scarred skin.

Before the CHF program started, Manju was not really doing anything as such. She was merely learning how to stitch when she got to know about the CHF program. She felt that it was something that she would like to do. The focus of the program was mainly on health and that intrigued Manju’s interest. Sitting idle at home made Manju feel suffocated and she also wanted to work to be independent. Although it was forbidden for girls to go out of the village to work, but since this job did not require Manju to move out of her village, her parents agreed to let her join and supported her throughout.

She mentioned how the training provided by the CDOT officials was beneficial for her. She did not even use a smartphone earlier. However, after the training, she was using one very efficiently. It helped her to understand how to conduct surveys, enter data, etc. She got to know a lot about the health sector as well and was able to impart the knowledge that she gained to the people in the village during her home visits.

After starting to work as a CHF, Manju felt that she had a new identity. Her family members did not look at her as a burden on the family and the society looked at her as an independent woman earning her own livelihood. This gave Manju a lot of confidence.

Presently, Manju proudly serves as an efficient CHF under CDOT who has helped not only herself, but her whole community. Her story is inspirational for many young girls and women in her village to never let any mishap sway them away from their goals in life.