Shaba is an inspiring 14-year-old girl who lives in Ahmedabad, in the Indian state of Gujarat. Her father is a rickshaw driver, and her mother is a garment worker, who stitches at home. They work day and night, and barely manage to make ends meet to support Shaba and her two brothers. Her family’s income is less than $120 USD per month, and a sizeable portion of their income is necessary to rent both the rickshaw and the sewing machine each month. Shaba is currently a 10th grader, and loves going to school. Her favorite subjects are English and Social Studies, and she is also interested in computers, which she sometimes gets to use in her school. She wants to become a teacher and motivate girls like her to pursue their studies. Shaba is so committed about her studies that she says she does not mind walking for half an hour to reach her school, even though the city can reach up to 109° Fahrenheit. Her family cannot afford extra tutoring classes for her or even help her with her homework, but she manages on her own and receives good grades. During her exams last year, Shaba got Dengue fever, and still managed to do well. Her mother says that they cannot afford the costs of Shaba’s education, and they often borrow money from the money lender to cover her education costs. Her mother is passionate about seeing Shaba continue her education and achieve her dream of becoming a teacher.

Alfina is 10 years old and lives in Ahmadabad. Her father died when she was 3 months old, leaving her mother, a garment stitcher, and her grandfather, who sells fruit and vegetables, to provide for the family. Alfina is currently a 5th grader at an English-medium school where she studies very hard in her dream to become an engineer. Despite her family’s tight budget her mother supports Alfina in her dream of getting an education. Alfina goes above and beyond, visiting the SEWA knowledge centers and taking computer classes there. In her spare time she loves to draw and paint

Diwan is a bubbly 14 year old girl who enjoys reading, listening to music and playing Kabaddi. She is a star player and the leader of her school team, recently winning the statewide Kabaddi championship. She is also an excellent student with high grades who hopes to become a teacher. She is currently in the 8th Standard at the Model English School in Ahmedabad. After her father died 9 years ago, Diwan’s mother, Zahedabanu, was left to support her and her two brothers alone. Zahedabanu moved the family to Ahmedabad in an effort to find work; she now sews clothes in her home. Despite long hours, she is only able to earn about 1500 INR a month. This is not nearly enough to pay basic living expenses and school fees for her three children.

SEWA, an all-women’s labor union in Ahmedabad, has funded Diwan’s school costs for the past two years. This year she will be funded by SEWA’s partner, the Girl in Yellow Foundation. This funding is an important step in making Diwan’s dream to finish her education and become a teacher possible. She has taken full advantage of being able to continue her schooling.

Mahanur is 13 years old and lives with her father, a vegetable vendor, her mother, a readymade garment worker, and her three sisters at a house given to them by their Mosque. Her father and mother work very hard but can barely make a living; some days they don’t have enough to feed their family. Her eldest sister received her school tuition from generous neighbors. Mahanur wants to study as well but doesn’t want to burden her family with the additional expenses. With the help of the Girl in Yellow Foundation’s scholarship she gets to further her education without any cost to her family.