I am Umadevi from Manickanagar. My father is a casual labourer and my mother does cutting Prosopis plants for the livelihood. I have three elder brothers. I have completed my Under Graduate (B.Sc., Physiscs). I have been enrolled in the sponsorship program when I was in 5th grade. I attended and learnt my lessons at the creative learning centre that initiated by PAD and Children Believe.
I also learnt much about child rights and many moral stories. The contests like drawing and elocution were very useful for me to improve my skills and talents. In fact, this centre gave me free space to bring out the latent talents in me.
• When I was in 12th grade in the government higher secondary school, the management distinguished the students as fast learners and slow learners by making them sit in separate groups. This way of distinguishing students had been a great insult to me. Our village students and I approached the management for justification with the help of Child line and the management changed their approaches in a positive way without any partiality.
• On the way to the main road from our village where located the TASMAC, hence, we used to feel afraid while walk along the path. Therefore, myself and youth club members staged a strike sitting on the road. As a result, the shop was shifted to other place.
• I learnt much about child rights and the roles and responsibilities of youths in a village after the youth camp. We all created a vision mapping about the development of our village and I organized everyone to form a youth group in our village and played an important role in the development of my village.
• I led the youth group and formed a village garden and with income from this garden we supplied note-books, stationeries and geometry boxes etc. to all school going children.
• I led to dig a well to supply potable water to the whole community while there had been a water scarcity in our village.
• I initiated to Laying streetlights all along the road to length of 2 kms.
• Mending the road, installing taps at the doorsteps etc.
• I attended village meetings, Gram Saba meetings, and placing petitions at the collector’s office on grievance day petition. I myself met the collector four times on such days and submitted my petitions. All these changes took place because of our intervention. This really made me very happy.
• Now I am getting training on how to face the government oriented job examinations such as TNPSC Group II at an Academy. I have a confidence that my ideal life will be fulfilled. My ambition is to become an IPS officer. To this end, I spend my time studying in a full-fledged way.
• I still workout for the development of my village through encouraging and helping the adolescent girls in all the ways I can.
