Children have a gift for conquering unfavorable circumstances. Maneesha did just that!
Her mother got married at a young age. Her father left when her mother got pregnant, leaving her mom to struggle daily just for food and shelter. She came home from long days of labor, depleted and exhausted. That left Maneesha without the tender care of a nurturing mom in her early years. She had no idea she could hope for life beyond poverty. Nobody told her she could be a doctor, nurse, teacher, police officer.
Thankfully, Maneesha’s life trajectory changed when she began attending our Good Shepherd School. At school, she found teachers who nurtured and cared for her in a way she had never experienced. She learned to confide in them as she would in a parent. They returned her trust with support and guidance.
In this environment, Maneesha thrived. She excelled in her classes, eventually rising to first rank, the ‘topper’ in her class. Her teacher, Mrs. Mespa, even envisioned Maneesha becoming the highest ranker of all the Good Shepherd Schools.
As she grew, Maneesha understood the sacrifices her mom made every day to make sure they had a home and food on the table. Maneesha pushed herself to do well in her classes to make her mother proud. She wanted to show her mom that the struggle had been worth it.
Academic success proved to Maneesha that she could dream, that she could rise above her circumstance. She also understands that with education comes an ethical responsibility. She wants to choose a profession that she can use to help others, especially those in poverty. So, her new dream? She wants to be a doctor. As a doctor, she can change people’s lives, as her teachers had done for her.
Education is the key to opening up new possibilities. Once she understood that, she took full advantage of the opportunity before her. Her life may have started out with little promise, but children are good at proving us wrong, aren’t they? One drop of hope in the life of a child spills over into the next generation. That’s what Maneesha teaches us.
And that’s the difference education makes.
