By Aubrey Merki | Manager, Christel House
We are excited to share that Kusuma, a 2011 Christel House India—Bangalore graduate, was recently featured by The Times of India. We thought you might enjoy reading her story.
Cabbie’s daughter lands a job at Dell
BANGALORE: Kusuma’s story is one of turning hardships into opportunities. Daughter of taxi driver Raju and school helper Pushpamma, this computer science graduate has beaten all odds to land a job at Dell Inc.
The 23-year-old woman says she owes much of her success to Christel House India—Bangalore, a charitable organization that works for the education and healthcare of children from impoverished city neighborhoods. Pushpamma heard about the school from one of her colleagues and ensured her daughter went there.
"No one should define the way you should be. And if someone does so, you should work harder to fulfill your dreams," said Kusuma, who faced monetary difficulties and battled social stereotypes. "No one ever thought I was capable of achieving anything," she said. Her mother had big dreams for her daughters. "My mother was very keen that I join a good school and receive proper education," recalls Kusuma, speaking of the many sacrifices her parents made.
During her final year of college, a mentor program organized at Christel House by Dell opened new avenues. During discussions with the IT heads of the firm, Kusuma expressed her desire to work for a similar organization. Soon, she was called for an interview, which she aced. Kusuma joined Dell's performance-testing team as a trainee on April 1, 2016. Kusuma noted, "I'm enjoying the experience. There is so much to learn and explore. My mentors are always willing to teach me."
The only engineer in her family, Kusuma derives satisfaction from being able to support her family. "It's not important what background you come from. If you are determined to succeed, you can do wonders. The key is not to be negative about the prevailing circumstances," she said.
Kusuma's story proves yet again that, given the right encouragement, most children can rise above the ordinary and reach for the stars. This daughter of a taxi driver has shown the path for disadvantaged children. These children need to be told that they shouldn't be cowed down by their situation and make the most of the support that their parents and NGOs provide. There are many opportunities in the big, wide world and opening their eyes to them is the least that people around them can do. Beyond that, it's the kids' hard work which will see them become achievers.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Cabbies-daughter-lands-a-job-in-Dell/articleshow/51987524.cms
Your support of Christel House is making an enormous difference in the lives of our students. Kusuma wanted to express her gratitude: “Thank you for helping me see that I can be anything I want to be. I have dreams and aspirations and I will achieve them.” Thank you for your generosity.
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