MADURAI: Against all odds, two girls from Madurai have come through their Class 12 exams with flying colours.
A victim of ‘child marriage’ from Annai Sathya Ammaiyar Memorial Orphanage Home (Government Home) has scored 395 marks out of 600 in the board exams, the results of which were declared on Friday.
Visaka (name changed) told TNIE: “Coming from an economically struggling family, my path has been far from easy. My parents work as agricultural labourers, and there were days when even basic meals were uncertain.”
Visaka said she had chosen the pure science stream, driven by a clear ambition to build a career in the forensic field.
She said this success wouldn’t have been possible without the support of Superintendent Vijayalakshmi (Orphanage Home), who has been a great source of encouragement.
“She (Vijayalakshmi) motivated us (inmates) to aim higher and believe in ourselves. She even arranged tuition for me at the home,” Visaka said, adding that “even now, Vijayalakshmi has assured me to help with my higher education by getting sponsors”.
She recounted a child marriage awareness programme addressed by the then District Collector M S Sangeetha at her school when she was in Class 11. The collector had shared her contact number for girls facing such (child marriage) issues.
“Within a few weeks, my parents had arranged my marriage. I then contacted her (collector) and explained the situation. She immediately sent a team and stopped the marriage.
Now, I am continuing my studies while staying at the Government Orphanage Home. I am thankful to Sangeetha ma’am for lending a hand. Otherwise, this dream of mine would not have come true,” she said.
Meenakshi (name changed), another girl from the home, scored 427 out of 600 marks in the exams. Behind her academic success lies a story shaped by loss, resilience, and the strength of human support.
“I lost both my parents when I was studying in Class 8. My grandmother, an agricultural labourer, raised me despite facing daily hardships, and she enrolled me in this government home. Here, I get three meals a day, besides care and love,” Meenakshi said.
She had chosen Bio-Maths group with a clear goal in mind to become a physiotherapist.
“Whenever I thought about my parents and felt low, the staff here helped me keep my chin up. They are kind, and provided continuous counselling to help me overcome my pain,” she said.
