Chanda’s Story

Though I was born in village, I completed my whole education in Mumbai. My family’s economic condition was not so good. My mother and father used to go for labour work and my two elder brothers worked in a factory. But due to my father’s alcoholism, we had a very bad time. Lack of education and due to poverty, my brother got the habits of alcoholism and many other habits which were there in the slum.

I was going to school with other children in my community. But later the number of children decreased due to girls getting married and boys starting to support their families. Though we were staying in Mumbai city, there was no electricity and drinking water available in the community, and we were constantly exposed to gambling, liquor bar and everyday quarrels. Still, in such an environment, we few children attended school regularly. I enjoyed the school a lot. We used to play outdoor games, dance, sing and study under kerosene lamps. We studied together so that we could help one another – This helped me to study thoroughly, understand properly and solve the questions fast.

After completing secondary school, I wasn’t sure whether to complete my further education, but my mother gave me tremendous support. She worked so hard for me and despite being a domestic worker and earning very little, she encouraged me. I remember once she told me, “You don’t bother about fees and other things, Don’t listen what others say to you, Just concentrate on studying”. What courage she had. Instead of telling me to join her in domestic work, she told me to concentrate on studying. She never forced me to work or get married. If sometimes my father asked me to help him in Kaddiya work, she would get angry at him. There is also a great impact of Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s life on me. I knew that to change this present situation, education was the only instrument.

Like my mother, I had very excellent teachers who knew my progress in school and my family condition whenever I had any difficulty, they would help me out at any cost. I always excelled by coming 1st or 2nd up to Xth standard. My teachers encouraged me to participate in various competitions like elocutions, drawing, language exam etc. which increased my confidence and determination.

In 1987, I passed my Xth exam, and asked myself – after this what? A question came before me. I was greatly impressed by my teachers, so I decided to become a teacher. I went to enquire at Tarabai Modak D. Ed. College; there I came to know that I have not completed the required age. So instead of wasting a whole year at home, I enrolled in Shailendra College for my first year of junior college. Although the medium of instruction was English, I managed and got 1st class. Then I left the idea of D. Ed. and continued college, getting 1st class in S.Y.J.C. also.

In college, I was very active and participated in various activities – debates, discussions, festivals, etc. Simultaneously, I was running adult education classes, helping poor people in the community and running tuitions for my pocket money. An officer, from Adult Education Department, Mumbai University, Mr. Kundan Jadhav suggested me to go for Master Degree in Social Work. While completing this master degree, I was staying in Government Hostel for two years. 1994 was a very special year for me in my life, because firstly, I got a Master Degree in Social work, from Nirmala Niketan, College of social work, Mumbai. Secondly I got the job in Prayas, a Project of Tata Institute of Social Sciences, posted as Social Worker in Police Station and thirdly I got married. Though my husband Mr. Rajendra has a Government job, he had many contacts with social organizations and was a very active member of the Railway Union. He always appreciated my work and motivated me to go for competitive exams and get the higher post.

At Prayas, I enjoyed my work lot. I counselled women in distress, and conducted vocational trainings. I gained a lot of experience in ten years. But after this, I wanted to do something different. When I started searching for jobs in the Government Sector, my husband suggested me to go for a higher post.

Fortunately, in 2002, the Maharashtra State Police advertised some posts of Child Development Project Officer for Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) for Maharashtra State. My entire family was very supportive towards my MPSC studies and after two years of hard work, in 2005, I was selected as CDPO and posted in the Andheri Project, Mumbai. We all were so happy. My mother, my family and all my friends were the partners of this success.

One thing that made me happy was that with administration I got the opportunity to work in the field. I am working in this department for four years. Working in this department is a challenging job but there is a wide scope to work for the public. More and more youngsters should go for such public service jobs. Recently I have been given the additional charge of Assistant Commissioner, ICDS.

In this whole process, I received excellent guidance from my teachers, support from my family, greetings and financial help from my well wishers and most importantly the blessings of my mother. Nothing is impossible. We can change our situation. We must have a positive attitude and goal in life. If we work hard we can achieve our desired goal.