Laxmi’s story

Right now, more than 98 million adolescent girls are not in school. Laxmi Nishad was one of them.

Laxmi grew up in Lucknow, India. She is the eldest of five siblings, and neither of her parents had the opportunity to finish school. When Laxmi was 13 years old, her mother passed away, and Laxmi had to put her studies aside to help support her household. She cleaned seven houses to raise enough money to feed her siblings. But she always remembered how much she loved to learn.

Then Laxmi heard about the  Prerna Girls School (Opens in a new tab), which was started by Dr. Urvashi Sahni and the Study Hall Educational Foundation to provide affordable education to underprivileged girls. The school runs in the afternoon to allow girls with work commitments to attend. Dr. Sahni welcomed Laxmi into the school with open arms. As Laxmi says, “Prerna became my family. My second home.”

Laxmi completed school at Prerna and went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree. Today, she works as a head sales manager at a call center, where she earns enough money to pay for her family’s food, clothing, and schooling. She even saved enough money to buy a plot of land of her own.

“My education paved the way for a brighter future for me, but the difference it made was even greater than that. Because it paved the way for my siblings and family, too.”

My education paved the way for a brighter future for me, but the difference it made was even greater than that.

You can support young women like Laxmi around the world through the Girls Opportunity Alliance Fund. (Opens in a new tab)