Born in the land where many people believe that giving birth to girl child is a curse, this 40-year-old landless Chenchu man, Dasari Anjaiah, from Chenchugudem in Chandampet mandal, has dared to sell the source of his family income, a milch-buffalo, to help his elder daughter Anitha (19) pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.
Incidentally, Anitha is the first Chenchu tribal girl to complete Intermediate education from Nalgonda district. After completing her Intermediate in 2013-14, the girl failed to clear the entrance test to get admission to Teacher Training Course (TTC), completion of which would make her eligible for Second Grade Teacher (SGT) post.
Finding that his daughter was passionate to pursue the TTC at any cost, Anjaiah approached a private college in Devarakonda and admitted Anitha in the management quota by selling his only milch-buffalo for Rs. 20,000 and borrowing some more money from his relative to pay the first year fees. However, the family is finding it difficult now to pay the second year fees as it neither holds land nor any property except a two-room house constructed under the government's housing scheme. Anjaiah and his wife work as agriculture labourers.
Apart from Anitha, her two younger sisters — Akhila and Ankitha — are studying 9th and 6th standards, respectively, in Model School at Neredugommu. Anjaiah is also forced to bear expenses for transportation of his two daughters since the school has no hostel facility.
Against all such odds, Anjaiah and his wife Edamma are determined to support their daughters’ education till they become employable. Their second daughter Akhila is a good hand in painting but wants to become a doctor while Ankitha aims to study engineering.
Since Chandampet is a remote mandal in Nalgonda district, no teacher likes working there. But, Anitha wants to teach in Chenchu habitations as she knows the difficulties of school-going children there better than others, particularly outsiders
