Changing the headline of her life. Tomorrow’s doctor

Changing the headline of her life. Tomorrow’s doctor

  • Category :
  • 9, December 2022
  • 2 minutes read

From skipping school to dreaming big

“Papa, I want to study. I want to grow up to be a good doctor and help people – especially women and children,” Shivani told her father, who is a cattle farmer.

11-year-old Shivani could not go to school for several days because she would often feel unwell. It was the lack of nutrition that was affecting her.  

Despite the hardships in life, Shivani never lost hope of pursuing education and following her dreams. When Shivani’s father had the second of his three daughters, fellow villagers sympathised with him. The poor cattle farmer would have to sell off his cows to marry off his daughters they said aloud. No one in Mangera, a village of 200-odd inhabitants in Uttar Pradesh, had even been to college. And girls were considered as financial burden.

Cut to today

Shivani wakes up with a smile every morning. Her day pans around waking up, getting ready and going to school. The Class 7 student, studying in Upper Primary School, Mangera, Mathura, wants to be a doctor and ensure women and children are given free medical care. When questioned about the motivation behind her goal, she explains that many women in her community avoid visiting male doctors, disregarding their health. When she's older, she wants to deal with this hesitation.

Shivani, a young girl from Uttar Pradesh, suffered from general weakness and other health issues a few years ago. Today, she dreams to be a doctor and help those in need.

Shivani is 11-years-old and has two elder sisters. Her mother is a homemaker and father a cattle farmer. With only her father being the earning member, poverty dwindles over this family. However, the father of three girl children has taken to himself to educate all his daughters and ensure that they grow up to be independent adults.

It was the determination to provide a healthy upbringing and a better future for his daughters that led him to know about The Akshaya Patra Foundation and its services. After understanding the benefits of mid-day meals and the opportunities provided by the NGO, the cattle farmer enrolled his three children to Upper Primary School, Mangera, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The three girls have been attending school since then and also have access to hot and nutritious meals every school day.

Children experience rapid growth. They need vitamins and minerals for growth and development; if these needs are not supplied, they risk being undernourished.

“It is important to let all girls attend school because this allows us to be strong both physically and mentally as the mid-day meals served in school provide nourishment. Also it makes us regular to school, thus helping us focus on our dreams and becoming independent.” Shivani says. During her free time, Shivani enjoys playing Kho Kho with her friends.  

“My favourite food is Pulao and Sabji, because at home it is always simple roti, and dal chaval.” 

 “One evening, as I was back home after a game of Kho Kho, I watched my grandmother breathing her last following a cardiac arrest. Maybe, she could have survived if a doctor was present. But, this made me realise that we need a care giver always. It was then that I decided to become a doctor and help save lives,” she says.

For a healthier tomorrow 

Every child’s dream is precious and it is passion that drives them one step closer to achieving it.

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