Meet Monika Arya, who fought for education and now helps tribal children

Monika Arya knows that dropping out of education is not always a choice. Sometimes it happens because a family cannot afford it, sometimes because a child does not know what opportunities exist, and sometimes because circumstances make continuing school feel impossible.Her own journey through education was interrupted for years. Today, she works in Jharkhand's Khunti district to help tribal children avoid similar breaks in their education.An education journey she had to fight forArya grew up in Karoda Hathi village in Shamli district, Uttar Pradesh, in a large family. She studied at her village government school until Class 8 before moving to Dehradun on a scholarship. A keen debater, she completed Classes 9 to 12 at Ram Pyari Arya Kanya Pathshala Inter College.After Class 12, however, pursuing college became difficult. Family opposition and responsibilities at home created major obstacles.