MADIKERI: A digital library in a rural part of Kodagu is helping shape a new life for a panchayat cleaning staff.
Bhavani HD (48), who never had the luxury to attend school, has now completed 10th grade after receiving help at the digital library even as she hopes for a promotion in her 12-year-old career.
A resident of Maldare village in Virajpet taluk, Bhavani hails from a poor family. She did not enjoy the right to attend school during her childhood and started off earning a living by working as a daily wager.
She then applied to work at the Maldare Grama Panchayat and has been working as the cleaning staff there for the past 12 years. She is shortly to be deployed as a civic worker who has to collect and dispose of garbage.
“I cannot lift heavy weights. I have undergone five surgeries including tubal ligation, uterus, piles, appendix, and a leg surgery. I requested a different job profile due to my illness and the then PDO had suggested that I could have applied for an attendee post at the panchayat if I had passed 10th grade,” shared Bhavani.
The need to shift to a better job urged Bhavani to try and apply for the 10th board exams.
“My dream of attaining an attendee post led me to the digital library at the panchayat. I obtained support from the library supervisor Sujitha,” Bhavani said.
“From the Grama Digi Vikas portal, I helped download the study materials for Bhavani. The study materials are easy to understand and they are in the form of videos. Bhavani visited the library every day and studied for the board exams,” shared Sujitha KV, the library supervisor who learned about the ordeal of Bhavani and stepped in to help.
For three months, Bhavani spent a few hours every day studying at the library. She wrote the board exams in March last year.
“But I passed only in Kannada. However, by god’s grace, I cleared all the subjects during the supplementary examination,” explained Bhavani.
Following this success, Bhavani is now confident of availing the attendee post.
However, Bhavani has a long fight before she gets to her dream post at the panchayat, as several panchayat members have failed to see her efforts and are demanding a male candidate for the attendee post over Bhavani.
While her hard work led her towards completing the 10th grade, it has not yet paid off due to the unprecedented developments at the panchayat.