Odisha Tribal Girl Who Topped District in Class 12 Turns Labourer To Fund Education

Karama Muduli, a tribal girl of the primitive Bonda tribe of Bondaghat in Malkangiri district, turned heads last year after she topped the district in Class 12 exams with 82.66 percent. This year again, the girl is in the news, but for a different reason.

She has been working as a daily labourer in the scorching sun to fund her education, as her parents, who work as daily wage labourers, aren’t able to afford her higher education. Her parents are surviving only through a meagre old-age pension granted to them by the government.

Odisha District Topper Turns Labourer

Sharing that she was indeed working as a daily wage labourer, Karama showcased grit and determination instead of being embarrassed. She was filled with a sense of pride that she was working towards making her dream of cracking the civil service exam come true.

She shared that after her board exam results last year, Maira Charitable Trust came forward and helped her realise her dream. They had gotten her enrolled at Rama Devi University in Bhubaneshwar. However, since meeting the education costs was a herculean task for her family, she revealed that she had no choice but to work as a daily labourer.

Karama stated that she knew that without money, she couldn’t fulfil her dream. She went on to explain that the girls at the university were well off, and seeing them made her wish that she could eat what they were eating and wear what they were wearing, but not being able to do so saddens her.

She revealed that she wasn’t able to buy notebooks and had to write with a pencil, erase it, and rewrite on the same pages. However, nothing stopped her from dreaming big. She said she’s sure that if she tries, she can make everything possible one day. She is determined that she will definitely achieve her dream of cracking the civil service exam one day soon.

Karama’s older brother Bina dropped out after class 8, and her older sister Manguli had to discontinue her studies due to poverty. Her younger sister Sima is studying in class 8.

Suggested Reading: Odisha Woman Abandoned For Undergoing Sterilisation: What About Bodily Autonomy?