New Delhi: Born to a farmer in a minimum-wage family in Nalanda village, Bihar, Nishu Kumari’s story is of unwavering grit and courage. From travelling 20 km daily for primary school to becoming a district topper, she survived and conquered the struggles that today’s Indian youth can't imagine. Not only this, Nishu also broke the societal setup of her village where girls are not allowed to study, forced to drop off from school and are wed early.
Growing up in a modest household where her father, the family's sole bread earner, worked as a farmer, financial constraints always loomed large over Nishu's aspirations.
The local government school in their village lacked adequate resources casting a shadow over Nishu's academic dreams. Despite these challenges, Nishu's father, recognizing her potential, took a bold step and sent her to Bihar Sharif, 50-60 km away from their village, for high school.
However, Nishu and her family were taunted, ridiculed and insulted by the whole village for allowing a girl to study. Moving cities for a village girl like Nishu was a big change that too when she was only 16.
She would wake up at 4 am, cook her day meals, complete household chores, attend classes at school and return to her small rented room to prepare for her exam. While struggling to understand complex topics in school, she started surfing YouTube and came across videos of Vidyakul.
Impressed by the vernacular teaching and a mere 200 Rs subscription of Vidyakul, Nishu signed up on the app. Nishu poured her heart and soul into studies despite the harsh circumstances. She once fell seriously ill due to poor living conditions but continued her learning journey, never missing a single class.
Her hardships bore fruits when she recently emerged as the District topper in the Bihar State Board 2024 exams, scoring an exceptional 455/500 marks. Today, Nishu is an inspiration for girls in her community to break socioeconomic barriers.
She wishes to become a Professor to impart the education she always yearned for as a child. She urges young girls, especially of rural Bharat, not to let the lack of support and opportunity deter them from seeking education.