Born in a village located in the deep forest of Nallamala in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Malleswari works as a computer teacher in one of the tribal schools in Dornala.

Malleswari’s father died when she was just 18, and people from her village tried to persuade her to get married right away. Yet, she refused, because she wanted to fulfill her father’s last wish. He really wanted her to be an educated woman.

“Thanks to my father’s words, I was adamant to do everything I could to complete my education, and now I am absolutely sure that it was the best choice.”

Presently, whenever Malleswari comes across a student who is getting pressured to tie the knot, she visits her family and patiently explains the importance of education.

“I always try to emphasize that education is about getting the tools we need to understand our society and decide who we want to be.”

If you’d like to support young people like Malleswari and help fund their education, please donate at: https://bit.ly/3FpazFh