Iritty: There is rarely a moment when Prajitha’s face isn’t lit by a smile. It's as if she forgot how to cry in childhood itself. That quiet smile is her only armour as she battles through poverty and hardship in pursuit of an education.

A Plus Two Humanities student at Padiyur Government Higher Secondary School, Prajitha travels 23 kilometres by bus from her home in Parikkalam Kumbangod Colony every day. Most mornings, she leaves home on an empty stomach. Her uniform was provided by her teachers. With textbooks for only two subjects, she painstakingly copies notes into her notebook, determined not to fall behind.

A member of the Scheduled Tribe community, Prajitha has not received the educational grants she is entitled to. Her home, a fragile shelter of plastic sheets, is a single space shared with her father Prasad, mother Prasanna and sister Prajina. It serves as their kitchen, bedroom and study area all at once.

After completing Class 10, Prajina had to drop out of school. Their daily life is a struggle for the basics. Even clean water comes from a stream half a kilometre downhill. Since they own no land, the family was excluded from the Life Mission housing scheme and has received no help from charitable housing projects either.

Their mother, Prasanna, suffers from partial paralysis in one arm and one leg, rendering her unable to work even under the employment guarantee scheme. It now appears that the weight of the family’s future now rests on Prajitha’s young shoulders. She travels 46 kilometres each day to attend school, bearing the cost of the commute herself. Yet, despite the overwhelming odds, she remains reso;ute in her determination to continue her education.