It Is Never Too Late

More than twenty years after I last sat to write a paper, I found myself back in an exam hall. I was a 40-year-old mother of three, returning to finish something I had left behind long ago.

At 16, I had just completed my Grade 10 papers when I got married. In Sangli, the small town in Maharashtra where I grew up, this was not unusual. Life moved quickly after that. Soon, my days were filled with raising my children — Sahil, now 24, Snehal, 22, and Shruti, 16 — and managing the responsibilities of a household.

Education slowly slipped into the background, becoming something that belonged to another chapter of my life.

Years later, in 2011, my daughters joined Sitaram Mill Compound Mumbai Public School. Through them, I became part of the Akanksha family. As a parent, I saw that Akanksha was different — not just in how it educated children, but in how it supported families as well. I even joined the English classes they conducted for parents.

In 2019, I began working at the Akanksha office as a Helper. What started as a job soon became something much more — a place where people encouraged me to learn, grow, and believe in myself.

During those years, as I watched my children move ahead in their studies, a quiet thought kept returning to me: I need to complete my education.

I wanted my children to dream big, but I also felt I had to lead by example. With support from Akanksha's Alumni Support & Engagement (ASE) team, I decided to enrol in college even if it meant studying at night.

My days soon found a new rhythm. I attended classes from 7 PM to 10 PM after finishing work and household responsibilities.

At first, it was intimidating. I had not studied in decades, and many subjects felt unfamiliar. English was particularly difficult. There were moments when I wondered if I could keep up.

But encouragement came from everywhere. My colleagues at Akanksha urged me to study during my free time at work and helped me clear my doubts. At college, I found others like me — students in their 50s and 60s who had returned to complete their education. No one made us feel out of place. We were simply students again.

Slowly, things began to change. I started understanding my subjects, making friends, and enjoying the process of learning.

Education opened my mind. Earlier, my life had been limited to household work — both in my own home and in the houses where I worked as a helper. But studying again made me more confident and more comfortable stepping out into the world.

The day I appeared for my Grade 12 exam felt like a victory in itself.

Today, I am pursuing a degree in Arts at TK Tope Night College in Parel, with the full support of my family. In fact, my daughter Snehal is now interning at Akanksha in the finance department. Both of us are part of the same community that believed in us.

My day begins at 5:30 AM. I prepare breakfast for my family before heading to the Akanksha office by 8:30 AM, where I work until evening. After going home to cook dinner, I leave for college.

It is a long day, but I rarely feel tired. I am doing this for myself, and that gives me energy.

Recently, I completed a computer course and learned MS Office. After graduation, I hope to work as a teacher or a social worker. The didis at Akanksha have already promised to support me.

My journey has taught me that it is never too late to start again. Education does not have an age limit. With the right support, determination, and courage, it is always possible to return to unfinished dreams and complete them.