Story of Papiya Koley

“Slow, persistent and silent work does everything.” Swami Vivekananda

Papiya Koley is a living example of these words. Her father is a van puller by profession. Needless to say, it is an arduous task for him to procure sustenance for a family of six. But they have seen better days ever since Papiya was brought by her elder sister Ashalata Koley to Rasik Bhita to get involved with the Award Programme.

The remote village of Heradaha could not provide her opportunities for higher education, yet Papiya was not defeated. The orthodox villagers could not accept the progressive outlook of the two sisters and began to cast aspersions on them. But people who script success stories are seldom held back by such constraints. Battling against numerous odds, Papiya managed to put up a praiseworthy academic performance. By dint of sheer hard work and dedication, the sisters have achieved an notable feat.

Ashalata Koley is a Silver Awardee who works for Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. India, and Papiya is now a student of Sanskrit Honours in Srerampore Girls’ College and her results have been consistently good. She has scored 60% marks in Compulsory English. She is a proud winner of the IAYP Gold Award this year.