Fighting hardships, girls of 2 single moms in Odisha taste sweet success in HSC

Bhubaneswar: Clearing the High School Certificate (HSC) (Class X) examination is the first big milestone in the academic life of most students. But for two mothers, Sajani Pani and Sanju Nayak, their daughters’ success in the matric examination is much more than an academic achievement, it is a reward for years of sacrifice, struggle and unwavering hope.In two different corners of Odisha, these single mothers fought life’s toughest battles so their daughters could stay in school and dream beyond poverty.In Gajapati district, which recorded the highest pass percentage in the state for the second consecutive year, 15-year-old Laxmirani Pani emerged as one of the brightest success stories. A student of Cheliguda Govt School, she secured 540 out of 600 marks and an A1 grade.But marks would only tell half the story. Laxmirani’s father deserted the family when she was just five years old. Since then, her mother, Sajani, has been raising two children alone, while working as a kitchen helper at a college in Bhubaneswar. With limited income and mounting responsibilities, Sajani left Laxmirani and her younger brother in the care of her father in the village so that the children could continue their education.For the past year, Laxmirani studied six to eight hours every day with a single goal. “This examination is the stepping stone to my career. I wanted to score good marks and secure admission in a good higher secondary school,” she said. Among the six subjects in HSC, she scored 98 marks in electronics and hardware under vocational education and now dreams of studying medicine.“Buying her even the smallest of stationery items would be a struggle on some days. Sometimes, I had to borrow money to buy her copies and sample papers for preparation. Fortunately, she always understood my struggle,” said Sajani, for whom her daughter’s success is the reward of years of hardship. “I want to pursue higher studies in Bhubaneswar so I can stay close to my mother,” Laxmirani said.Hundreds of kilometres away in Dhenkanal, another mother, Sanju, was carrying not just hope but also her daughter Sunita Nayak to an examination centre every day.Born with hearing and speech impairment, the 1.5-foot-tall Sunita communicates through gestures and relied on a scribe to write her answers. Every day during the examinations, Sanju carried her to the centre and waited outside while Sunita slowly dictated her answers to the scribe. A student of Nigamananda High School at Mahulpada, she scored 309 out of 600 with a C grade.Sanju was raising Sunita and her son alone since her husband passed away 12 years ago. Despite the hardships, she never allowed her daughter’s physical condition to become a barrier to education. “She always wanted to study and as parents, we ensured that deformity was never a roadblock for her. Even after my husband’s death, there was not a day when she stopped studying,” said Sanju, who works as a cook in a local school.Sanju said Sunita wants to study further and they plan to enrol her in a local institute where commuting is convenient.