Mayawati, her two older brothers and five younger siblings. As the eldest girl, Mayawati not only has to help her mother with the housework, she also looks after her younger brothers and sisters and helps her father sow the fields and winnow the grain. Before the FEC opened in her village, Mayawati's chances of going to school were slim. Along with the countless responsibilities on her young shoulders, the nearest school was two kilometers away - making it nearly impossible for any girl to travel so far from her village every day. But then, the field worker from Sarvodaya Ashram, CARE's partner in girls' education programs in India, brought a ray of hope for Mayawati.
CARE works with local partners to increase awareness about the importance of education.
CARE also supports training of parents, village leaders, schoolteachers and other community members to increase the accessibility and linkages with the formal education system. As a result, a village school would soon be opened, the field worker said, and all the girls who had not had the opportunity to attend school could be taught there. But Mayawati's joy was short-lived. Her parents questioned the use of educating her, especially as she was almost old enough for marriage. They said 'you have to grow up now, so let it be'.