Sanjana, 27, lives in a GoodWeave Child Friendly Community in rural Rajasthan, India. She wanted to complete her education when she was younger, but early marriage, the birth of three children, and no support from her husband and in-laws shattered her dream.

Photo caption: Sanjana sitting with other women from her village.

She had given up on pursuing an education until GoodWeave facilitator, Aarti, convinced her to enroll in the “Open School” program, where women can complete their education at any age. Sanjana was so determined to not let anything get in the way of her education that she completed her studies while caring for her extended family and doing occasional work. Sanjana shared: “In terms of calibre and skills, I am no less than you. But it is all about the opportunities one gets in life. … Before GoodWeave came to this village, my life was all about chores and cooking. Now I have a bigger scope in life. In every village you will find a story like mine. But these stories remain hidden.” 

Photo credit: © GoodWeave International