Tribal girl drops out of college to sustain family

MALKANGIRI:  Faced with the dilemma to sustain family at the age of 19, a tribal girl from Podia in Malkangiri dropped out of college to take to farming. Shome Madhi from Tedgapalli village under Materu panchayat in Podia, wanted to pursue higher education but had to opt out of college six months back to sustain her family after mother Irme fell sick. With an ailing mother and two minor siblings - aged 14 and 6 respectively, Shome has appealed to the government to help her study. 

Nine years back, Shome lost her father Naga to drowning but her mother Irme managed to fend for the family by selling minor produce and cultivating paddy and ragi on their land. But she suddenly fell sick in 2018. Sources said, her mental health started deteriorating and she has been confined to the house.  

While Shome had to sell minor forest produce to sustain her family, she continued her school. But six months back, things took a turn for the worse and she had to drop out of Plus Two course in Podia college to devote full time to farming on three acre of her ancestral land.

Shome said since looking after her mother and two sisters was her priority, she had to make a tough decision. “If I am lucky enough, the government will help me resume education. I took to farming as we have land but cannot arrange people to till it. At the moment, my family is my responsibility and I cannot think beyond that,” she told TNIE. 

Currently, her mother gets Rs 500 per month under widow pension and 25 kg rice under the BPL category. The rest of the requirement, Shome believes, can be managed with whatever she will earn from the fields.