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Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
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M and D were a young couple who lived together with their two sons in a one room house a few kilometers away from the city. D lost her parents at an early age and while living with an uncle, left school to support herself by working at a bottling factory. When she turned 18, she married M, who used to work at construction sites before ending up working at a beedi factory. M liked working at the factory because of the income stability it provided to their family, but supplemented his salary by taking on additional jobs loading boxes and working as a temporary labourer. After school, their children took turns riding a bicycle and watched TV on a set provided to the family with help from a government scheme.

While D did not regret leaving school, M regretted dropping out of school, “we didn’t realise how important education was when we were young.” He dreamt of a better life for his children. “I have two children, who are doing well in school. I am sending them to private schools. I am also paying for private tutors so they can do well and get a good job when they are older. That is my aim.”