Speaking in part English, part Marathi (native language), the eldest of four siblings, has a volt in her voice hinting at the spark she carries within. “Society always tells us that poor students cannot do anything in life. I want to prove them wrong, also my own family. My grandmother thinks girls should not study too much. They belong indoors and need to get married.”

Thankfully, Mitali’s primary caregivers, her parents, disagree with such claims. “I am glad my parents think otherwise and support me in my dreams even at the cost of going against their own elders’ will. It is very important for me to study well and become successful so that I can guide my younger siblings who are in grade 4, 6 and 8 right now,” she shares.

Mitali grew fond of historical monuments when she began to read about them in her textbooks. Even if it was just plain text and information. However, with the introduction of eLearning, she along with other students in her class, got a visual tour of historical sites including several rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE in the Aurangabad district of Maharashtra state.

There are many students like Mitali who cannot afford to travel and see what exists in and around them, and visual mediums are a boon for them to see and learn. Continuing her reasoning, she shares, “Everyone keeps saying that we cannot do anything and even our situation won't let us do it. But I want to show my parents that as a girl I can do everything, go everywhere and I can inspire society as well as my siblings.”