Imagine reaching an interview 4 hours late because your family is not supportive of your career!
This is the life of Suman Mourya, a life dictated within 4 walls of her home by an orthodox father who discontinued her education post clearing her 7th grade exams. For him, being literate was a full stop and objected to Suman venturing out alone for even using a community toilet where she had to be escorted by her mother. After her friends introduced her to Bright Future’s job readiness programs she stepped into a new world. BF’s focus is clear – typically young girls and boys from underprivileged backgrounds wanting to carve a better life out of their circumstances and learn how to confidently step into the world of work. After convincing her father to join this course, he maintained that she would not be allowed to take up a job. The BF interactive sessions were an eye opener for Suman. It is here that she turned her life around, learnt the art of conversation, which boosted her confidence, imbibed presentation and dressing skills.
BF rolls out entry level job opportunities for their students, and for her first interview it took a lot of persuasion finally he reluctantly agreed on the condition that he would pick and drop her. It was for this interview that she set out like a spirited soul from her home neither knowing clear directions nor the train schedules. She reached her first interview 4 hours late in a complete disheveled state having walked, run and turned teary eyed on the streets. She was immediately on boarded with a salary of 5,200. . The struggle had only begun, she worked during the day, cooked in the morning for her family, did tailoring on Sundays, gave tuitions to children, all this to complete her studies by correspondence. Today she is earning more than 3 lakhs per annum and helps her brother with his studies and her father for his business. Her once orthodox father now encourages other men to educate their daughters and support them in their independent careers.
This entire struggle seems completely worthwhile when Suman says that now her family allows her to relax and unwind after a hard day of work and appreciates her wholeheartedly for her achievements.
Today Suman is working with Future Generali and earning a salary of around 4 lakh in the sales department.
