Defying odds to find success

Amutha (named changed) was sexually abused by her father for years before she had the courage to complain. When she was rescued by Childline, she was 13.

Post-rescue, she developed depression. It took her years to overcome the trauma. She has secured a first class in the Plus Two exam. While the marks weren’t as high as she had expected, it instilled a purpose in her life, she said.

Amutha aspires to be a journalist.

O.S. Dhanyashree, on the other hand, scored 78% and aspires to be a banker. She is disappointed with the marks as she was infected with chicken pox during the examination. “If not for my illness, I would have scored more. People at the home had high hopes on me,” she said.

Dhanyashree lives at the Government Service Home, Tambaram Sanatorium, which looks after destitutes and women from underprivileged backgrounds. She, along with 26 other girls at the home, appeared for the examination. Except three, others have passed. Dhanyashree scored the highest among them.

Ms. Dhanyashree was sent to the home two years ago to finish her higher studies after the orphanage she was living in could not afford her education. Her parents died when she was in Class VII. Ever since, she has been constantly trying to adapt to new places and situations. “I have to survive and work hard. I will do it in time,” she said.