N. Sonu has not had an easy childhood. Only eight years ago, she was found begging with her father in front of the Gundanjaneya Temple at Sanjeevanagar, Hebbal, here. On Thursday, as the results of the SSLC exam were announced, Sonu had scripted a success story, scoring 96.32%, taking her a step closer to her dream of becoming a software engineer.
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As a five-year-old, Sonu migrated to Bengaluru from Yadgir in north Karnataka with her father after her mother’s demise. They stayed on the outskirts of the city and depended on construction work to make a living. Her father, under the influence of alcohol, would assault her, leading the neighbours to file a complaint with the police. After a police warning, her father mended his ways and they shifted to Sanjeevanagar. They would beg in front of the temple till the evening, and then take shelter in the same temple at night.
A volunteer from the Sparsha Trust, which works with children, found the girl in front of the temple while she was begging and rescued her. They convinced her father and took her to the trust’s residential home at Hesaraghatta. Then, they got her enrolled in Class 3 in the Government Higher Primary school at Sahakarnagar and she studied there up to Class VIII.
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Tragedy struck again when she was in Class VIII as her father died. The trust took complete care of Sonu and put her in the Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka School for further studies. She studied IX and X here and in the SSLC exam, got a total of 602 marks out of 625. She managed to score 125 out of 125 in Kannada (first language), 96 in English, 99 in Hindi, 98 in Maths, 86 in Science, and 98 in Social Science.
Along with a good academic track record, Sonu is also good at painting, Kathak, and tennis, her caretakers said.
Speaking to The Hindu, Sonu said: “I will take computer science in PU and want to become a software engineer. It is the biggest dream of my life.”
Recalling Sonu’s journey, Sparsha Trust managing trustee Gopinath said: “When she came to our residential home eight years ago, we never imagined that this girl will make such an achievement. Because of factors including habits of parents, family’s financial condition, some social evils, etc., children become casualties. Every year, we rescue nearly 100 to 150 orphans. Sonu is a real achiever and role model for everybody. We will completely take care of her up to her higher education. Then, will help her with employment and settling down in life.”