SWaCH waste picker’s daughter selected in Indian Navy

Jyoti, 38 has been a waste picker since 2013 and her husband works on daily wages. So they couldn’t afford to send Shweta to coaching classes. “She would sign up for affordable courses online, and watch videos on Youtube. That’s how she learnt. Only for the physical training did she join an academy in Hadapsar,”said Jyoti.

In her early years, Shweta attended a Ma.Na.Pa. school till class four, and then joined Sadhana English Medium Vidyalaya in Hadapsar. After the initial challenge of getting acquainted with English, she focussed on her strengths and joined National Cadet Corps (NCC) while also securing 78 per cent in her class 12 board exams. Given her rigorous routine, she couldn’t join college full time, so she secured an external admission at SM Joshi.

Reflecting on her journey, Shweta expressed her gratitude towards her mother, SWaCH Cooperative and Kagad Kach Patra Kashtakari Panchayat for their continued support by providing essential resources such as notebooks and school fees. She places full credit on her upbringing and the motivation she got through youth groups of waste pickers’ children.

Jyoti said, “I am a proud mother of my daughter. Shweta always had a strong desire to serve her country. When she finally received the news of her selection, our joy knew no bounds. However, amidst the celebration, I couldn’t help but worry about the extensive list of essentials she requires for her training program. Once again, I have turned to our organisation to raise funds to support her needs.”