Devi
India
Devi is from a small village in the Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. After her mother died and her father abandoned the family, Devi and her sister were taken to live with her uncle. Devi’s sister is intellectually disabled (this means a person has certain limitations in cognitive functioning and skills, including communication, social skills, and self-care). Devi and her sister were not treated well by their uncle.
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When Devi was just eight, her uncle sent her to the city of Hyderabad to be the maid for his family and take care of the children. He told her she had to behave. Devi was scared, but the family she was sent to heard about what her uncle had done. They helped to look for a new home for Devi away from her uncle.
They found a home for her at the Center for Social Service (CSS), a partner of Commit2Change, a nonprofit organization that empowers girls with education and life skills training in India and South Asia. Devi notified her uncle about her move to CSS and brought her sister to join her. Devi is now 16 years old and has not visited her village since.
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Currently studying science, Devi is pursuing her goal of becoming a doctor because she wants to help people like her sister live a better life.
Story courtesy of Commit2Change, an organization dedicated to providing education and life skills training to girls in throughout India and South Asia.