Tata Steel support sees Rashmi as first Higher Secondary success in Birhor community

Jamshedpur, Aug 8: Defying all odds, Rashmi Birhor from Birhor Tola at West Bokaro, Mandu Block became the first ‘Birhor’ student from the Ramgarh district to pass the Higher Secondary examination (12th) from St Robert School, Hazaribagh.

The timid voice receives the phone call, still trying to let the feeling sink in of becoming the first-ever person from her family to go to school and pass the 12th board examination with a massive second division, a feat rare for her community. This young girl passed her 10th board 2 years back under project Aakansha, supported by Tata Steel Foundation. She has once again proved her grit and zeal to go beyond her peripheries to learn and grow despite all odds. Coming from one of the most extremely vulnerable tribal communities in India, the Birhor tribe has withstood a living condition that reeks of poverty, destitution, and dire predicament; but this never deterred Rashmi from achieving what she had set out for. ”My parents want me to study harder and get better results in the future as I have enormous support from the Tata Steel Foundation,” Rashmi says,  and that her parents want her to keep going forward and upward, never letting her feel any lesser than he rest of the world.

Rashmi now stands as an epitome of hard work and determination in her community who intends to pursue her diploma course after having consulted her teachers and mentors at Tata Steel Foundation. She stands tall today, serving as the inspiration to the children of her community to realize their dreams.

Project Aakansha is a labor of love and effort of Tata Steel Foundation, initiated in the year 2012, aiming to bring about positive change in the lives of the vulnerable Tribal communities in India by promoting and supporting education of the children from these communities, especially girl children. Project Aakansha has impacted several lives ever since and has 220 Birhor children enrolled under this project who are supported academically and counselled to encash on the learning they receive through formal education.