Living on the streets, studying is a family endeavour for M. Archana, who passed the Class XII exam with flying colours. “If I wanted to study at night, my parents would sit with me on the roadside to ensure that I was safe,” she said.

For Archana, who lives next to a TASMAC outlet on MUC Street, safety was always an issue. “My parents would sit with me till 2.30 a.m. or 3.00 a.m. to ensure that I could study without worrying. Drunk men would end up sleeping anywhere, sometimes next to us — we were constantly worried about this threat,” she added.

Though she pursued the commerce stream, she now hopes to study nursing. “I want my parents to be proud to say that their daughter is a nurse,” Archana said.

She added that the housing board tenement into which she moved last month was extremely comfortable. “To be able to study without being dependent on the street lights, or to use the bathroom at my will, feels good,” she said.

NGO’s support

Like Archana, S. Paul David echoed the difficulties of having to study on the streets. “We also received help from the members of the NGO, Karunalaya, which helped us to study seriously,” he added.

“Without the traffic sounds and with adequate lighting, we would have definitely scored better. We know the power of education,” Archana said.

Paul said he was preparing to apply for Bachelor of Business Administration stream in colleges.

“I do not want to work under anyone. As a first-generation learner, I want to study to make my parents proud. I want to stand on my own two feet and support them,” Paul added.