Bhadrak: A Bhadrak girl is managing her dad’s shop to educate herself, her brother and sister and to feed her family of four including her.
Lipsa Priyadarashini Sahoo is a a Plus III second year student of Bhadrak Autonomous College.
After the death of Naresh Chandra Sahoo (55), the sole breadearner of the family, who stayed at Apartibandha New Colony here three months back, the family was worried over how to survive.
At this time Lipsa expressed her desire to run her father’s shop. Naresh used to sell Ayurvedic herbs and roots at the Municipality Square near Katcheri Bazaar.
Later, he set up a shop named Maa Laxmi Banaspati Bhandar selling seasonal and ‘puja’ articles. When he was alive he got his eldest daughter Barsha Priyadarshini married and was funding the education of the other two children.
Now Lipsa is running the shop and at the same time pursuing studies. Her younger sister Priyanka is in Class V and her brother Akash stopped his education after matriculation when his father died.
Lipsa’s decision to take up the responsibility of her family at a tender age has made her known in the locality.
A believer in ‘Where there is a will, there is a way’, Lipsa takes immense pleasure donning her two roles. She believes determination will see girls through the difficulties of lives.
“What I am doing affects my study a little. But when I see my sister and brother continuing their studies I am satisfied,” says Lipsa while arranging articles in her shop. She said she will do her best to fulfil her father’s ambition to see his children educated.
Lipsa’s mother Manjulata helps her and she sometimes gets a helping hand from her brother in running the shop.
