132 women from Palghar hamlets pick up studies after decades, clear SSC exam

Time of India

21-05-2025

Pune: A modest home in a remote hamlet in Palghar district rang with an excited "aai, tu pass zalis". It was 40-year-old Lata Warangade's daughter declaring that her mother had cleared the SSC exam when the results were announced last Tuesday.
Lata's eyes welled up with tears when the sense of accomplishment sank in. "For the past 15 years, I had often wished I had cleared my SSC. I have now crossed a milestone."
She had dropped out of school after failing Std IX, got married and settled into a household with many responsibilities. "When I started working as a helper at the local anganwadi, I began to feel the urge to finish SSC," she said.
Overcoming resistance from her husband, Lata directly enrolled herself for SSC as an external student through
Pratham Foundation
, a non-profit organisation, working in collaboration with Larsen & Toubro Charitable Trust under their Second Chance initiative.
Her elder daughter stood by her, telling her father, "If aai (mother) wants to study, let her."
It wasn't easy. Family responsibilities, work, and years of educational gap were hurdles. But Lata scored 66% and emerged top scorer among 144 candidates from tribal area. Of these, 132 passed.
Pushpa Mokashi, 56, the oldest candidate came back from a break from books after 30 years. "I couldn't hold a pen properly at first.
I studied late into the night, sometimes past midnight, after finishing chores and looking after my grandchildren," she said.
Her 58% is symbolic of resilience. "My sons and grandchildren told everyone that I had passed SSC. I felt I had done something extraordinary," she added.
In tribal and hilly Vikramgad, Vanita Bhogade (45) and her daughter Priya Moragha (22) enrolled together. "I was always scared of maths and Hindi, but my daughter helped me," she said.
Both balanced farm work and household duties with education. If one missed class, the other would attend and teach what she learned later that night.
"My husband is my biggest support. He studied till Std II but he motivated both me and our daughter. When the exam approached, he took charge of some household and farm work and told us to attend classes and revision sessions," Vanita recalled.
The days before the results were a storm of nerves and uncertainty.
Vanita said, "My son checked the result on his cellphone. I was afraid I would fail," she said. Moments later, her quiet home burst into celebration.
A dedicated team of 13 volunteers and teachers from the initiative trekked to hamlets, converted abandoned houses into classrooms, and created a learning environment. They became mentors, motivators, and emotional anchors.
Team leader Gopinath Kode said they visited homes, held meetings at MGNREGA sites, and explained the programme to women.
"Classes were held in villages for easy access. We motivated them through exam fears and poor family support. We taught in a fun way and added life-skills training. We also gave foundational learning to help them tackle the main lessons," he added.
Devidas Kulal, secretary of Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education, said the NGO's efforts to help women complete their SSC or HSC is heart-warming.
"There are many skill development courses after this which can help them get employment. Moreover, an educated woman means an educated family," he added.