Junagarh: This might sound like the storyline of a Bollywood movie, but no, this is the real-life story of a 16-year-old girl who is battling odds to educate her 11-year-old sister after the death of their parents.
Ten years back, the girls’ father Bana Bag died. The elder girl was just a six-year-old and the younger one a newborn. After five years, their mother Sumani too passed away, turning the two girls orphans. Life turned upside down for the two, who had very little of exposure to the outside world.
Rinky Bag, now 16, of Chamarbandh Pada in Junagarh-Ward 8 of Kalahandi district and her minor sister Pinky, now 11, took courage in their hands and carried forward. Rinky took upon herself the responsibility of not only sustaining the life of her little sister but also educating her. She has been doing odd jobs to run the family and meet the other needs of Pinky.
Rinky was 11 when her mother passed away. The girl washed utensils her neighbours’ homes and did odd jobs to take care of her sister. Most of the time, the two sisters starved their days and nights out. No help was forthcoming from the girls’ relatives. What the girls have is a thatched mud house. They avail 10kg of ration under the NFSA Act.
No other government benefit came the way of the two girls. “We cannot pay bribes to officials to get government benefits. So, we get nothing,” Rinky said. Local sympathised with the plight of the two girls and urged the administration to extend basic facilities to enable the girls lead a normal life.