The Golden Key: How Shashikala Unlocked a better future for her Family

-  By Megha Chaudhary, PO, Collaboration & Partnerships

A golden key to a brighter future

Shashikala lived with her family in a rented house in Bhaskar Nagar, Kalwa, with her husband and four children three daughters and one son. The family's financial situation was extremely fragile. Shashikala’s husband was a daily wage earner with irregular employment. Shashikala managed all the household responsibilities while also earning a small income by making small handcrafted items from home. Despite these hardships, Shashikala had always been determined to provide her children, especially the girls, with the education the parents never had so they could build a better future. 

Shashikala had never heard of scholarships or understood how they could help children continue their education until one day Diksha, a community organiser from EHSAS, told her about it. Diksha patiently explained the application process and informed her that an income certificate was required to secure scholarships from organisations such as Bal Asha Trust and other NGOs.

Shashikala realised that obtaining an income certificate was like finding a golden key to her children's future, but the process was far from easy. She had never applied for such a document before and was unfamiliar with the required procedures. Megha, the programme officer from the Collaboration and Partnerships, guided her through the necessary documentation. 

Shashikala collected the application form from the Setu office, but since she could not read or write, completing it was a major challenge. The obstacles continued to mount. Her bank account was inactive, her daughter's Aadhaar card had not been updated, several supporting documents were missing, and she did not know where the local corporator's office was located. At times, she felt overwhelmed and considered giving up.

With continued support from volunteers and the SNEHA staff, Shashikala gradually learned how to navigate each step of the process. She located the corporator's office, updated her daughter's Aadhaar card, completed the KYC process to reactivate her bank account, and fulfilled the remaining documentation requirements. The journey was emotionally exhausting. Shashikala recalls crying twice during the process because each new obstacle seemed impossible to overcome. Yet she persisted. After nearly one and a half months of determined efforts, she finally held her income certificate in her hands.

Receiving the certificate was more than completing a bureaucratic process—it was a turning point. Shashikala realised the importance of maintaining updated personal documents, and she has since begun updating the records of every member of her family. She even travelled independently to the Mahalaxmi office of Bal Asha Trust; although she could not read station names, she found a way by asking a neighbouring woman to accompany her. Through these experiences, she came to understand more deeply than ever the value of education and literacy.

Shahsikala’s daughter's application to Bal Asha Trust has now been selected. Today, Shashikala tells her children:

"My family may not have been able to educate me, but I will do everything I can to ensure that you receive a good education. Because I never stopped trying, I found the golden key that opened new opportunities for your future."