HYDERABAD: They may soar as tech whizkids in the future. But now, a band of female students is having to plumb the depths - as janitors, cleaning toilets of their own engineering college in Andhra Pradesh 's Guntur.
Cleaning toilets is one of the chores Vani (name changed) must complete before heading to class at 9am, with the other tasks being watering plants or helping in the college kitchen. Reason? These part-time gigs allow Vani to pay for the hostel at the engineering college - something her daily wager parents cannot afford. The 21-year-old is currently in her final year of BTech in AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning).
Turns out Vani's college has about a dozen such girl students - pursuing different branches of engineering - who have taken up similar works to keep their dreams of a higher education alive.
And they are only too glad to be able to do so. "I know my family's financial situation. I don't feel there is anything wrong with taking up any work that can ease the burden on them," Vani told TOI, adding that she did not want to be a burden on her parents.
A resident of Bellamvaripalem in Guntur, Vani's father makes Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day, and her mother another Rs 250 at best. She started working in the third year of BTech after her parents borrowed money to clear her hostel fee.
Part-time work to instil confidence: Principal
Vani's hostel fees are Rs 37,500 per year. "I did not want them (her parents) to borrow again. That's why I approached the management asking if I could get some work. I never hesitated to clean restrooms, as we are the ones using them. It felt like keeping our house clean," Vani added, pointing out that she either works in the early hours before going to college or in the evening after returning from classes.
Her batchmate Sravya has a similar routine. "One week we work during the morning and the next week during the evenings. It takes around two to three hours to complete our work. Right from cleaning rooms, restrooms, and gardening, we take care of all work along with other staff," said the final-year AI student.
Along with these tasks, this group also doubles as caretakers, waking up other students on time for study sessions and serving food, among other duties.
Though these students admit to run-ins with seniors who question their authority at times (when they ask them to go for classes or turn off lights) they say it's a small price to pay for the returns.
"My family was already in a Rs 3 lakh debt. So, I knew I had to do these jobs to stay afloat. Whenever I faced some resistance, I used to seek the help of authorities," said Aarti a first-year engineering student from Kurnool. Raised by a single mother, she said the family was willing to take any help that came their way, as seven siblings are completely dependent on their mother since their father passed away when she was in class 9.
The principal of the college revealed that students were being encouraged to take up part-time work to instil confidence in them that they can take care of themselves. "About 200 students come forward every year to do part-time work, but we consider only 8 to 10 of them who are serious. These are the ones who are generally in need and have a powerful mindset," the principal said.
(Names changed to protect identities)
Cleaning toilets is one of the chores Vani (name changed) must complete before heading to class at 9am, with the other tasks being watering plants or helping in the college kitchen. Reason? These part-time gigs allow Vani to pay for the hostel at the engineering college - something her daily wager parents cannot afford. The 21-year-old is currently in her final year of BTech in AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning).
Turns out Vani's college has about a dozen such girl students - pursuing different branches of engineering - who have taken up similar works to keep their dreams of a higher education alive.
And they are only too glad to be able to do so. "I know my family's financial situation. I don't feel there is anything wrong with taking up any work that can ease the burden on them," Vani told TOI, adding that she did not want to be a burden on her parents.
A resident of Bellamvaripalem in Guntur, Vani's father makes Rs 700 to Rs 800 a day, and her mother another Rs 250 at best. She started working in the third year of BTech after her parents borrowed money to clear her hostel fee.
Part-time work to instil confidence: Principal
Vani's hostel fees are Rs 37,500 per year. "I did not want them (her parents) to borrow again. That's why I approached the management asking if I could get some work. I never hesitated to clean restrooms, as we are the ones using them. It felt like keeping our house clean," Vani added, pointing out that she either works in the early hours before going to college or in the evening after returning from classes.
Her batchmate Sravya has a similar routine. "One week we work during the morning and the next week during the evenings. It takes around two to three hours to complete our work. Right from cleaning rooms, restrooms, and gardening, we take care of all work along with other staff," said the final-year AI student.
Along with these tasks, this group also doubles as caretakers, waking up other students on time for study sessions and serving food, among other duties.
Though these students admit to run-ins with seniors who question their authority at times (when they ask them to go for classes or turn off lights) they say it's a small price to pay for the returns.
"My family was already in a Rs 3 lakh debt. So, I knew I had to do these jobs to stay afloat. Whenever I faced some resistance, I used to seek the help of authorities," said Aarti a first-year engineering student from Kurnool. Raised by a single mother, she said the family was willing to take any help that came their way, as seven siblings are completely dependent on their mother since their father passed away when she was in class 9.
The principal of the college revealed that students were being encouraged to take up part-time work to instil confidence in them that they can take care of themselves. "About 200 students come forward every year to do part-time work, but we consider only 8 to 10 of them who are serious. These are the ones who are generally in need and have a powerful mindset," the principal said.
(Names changed to protect identities)
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