Shaadi ke din bhi, padhai pehle

On the morning of her wedding, Manisha did something few people expected. Instead of heading straight into celebrations, she walked into an exam hall. Still dressed in her bright pink lehenga, jewellery from her morning rituals in place. Her husband was close by. The celebrations were only a few hours away, but that morning, she chose to sit for her Grade 10 exam.

Holding on to a dream

Manisha did not take this decision at the last minute. She held on to her dream for years, worked through setbacks and found the support she needed.

She lives in a remote village in Rajasthan and always wanted to become a teacher. After Grade 9, she had to leave school because the secondary school was far away, transport costs were high, and her family was facing financial difficulties. She stayed home, not knowing what her next step would be.

“Kuch na kuch banenge.” She would think to herself.

A second chance through Pragati

Things changed when her Prerak didi, a trained community mentor under the Educate Girls’ Pragati program, told her about a second-chance learning camp nearby.

Pragati supports adolescent girls and young women who had to drop out of school or pause their education. It helps them prepare for their Grade 10 exams through open schooling. For Manisha, it felt like a chance to continue what she had started.

Her father needed convincing. “Padh likh ke kya karoge?” he asked. Manisha replied, “Kuch na kuch banenge.” She kept trying and slowly gained his support. On the night before her wedding, he finally agreed to let her sit for the exams.

Balancing two milestones

When the wedding date conflicted with one of her papers, both families encouraged her to go ahead with the exams. Her father-in-law believed strongly in education, and her husband supported her without hesitation.

On the morning of her wedding, she completed the early rituals and then travelled to the exam centre in a decorated van. She revised on the way, finished her paper and returned in time for the celebrations.

Looking ahead

Manisha passed her Grade 10 and now wants to continue her education through open schooling. She plans to complete Grade 12 and begin her teacher training.

Her journey shows how powerful second-chance education can be. Through Pragati, thousands of girls like Manisha are returning to learning.