Mihika

When Mihika (pictured above) was eight years old, her family made the decision to move from their village in Bihar to Delhi in search of more stable work.

Mihika’s family worked as agricultural field labourers. Life in the village was extremely difficult, as they struggled with poverty and mounting debt. Leaving their home was not an easy choice. She shares,

“I was just 8 when we moved to Delhi. I didn’t understand it then, but later I got to know it was because we were very poor and had a lot of loans.”

At first, Mihika stayed in Bihar with her aunt while her parents and elder brother moved to Delhi. It was her brother’s enrolment in a Toybox supported project that began to change things for the family. She shares,

“My brother started learning and growing after he joined the project. That’s when my parents brought me to Delhi and got me enrolled too.”

Life in Delhi

Today, 11 year old Mihika’s father works as a daily wage labourer - his income depends entirely on whether a truck arrives to take labourers to construction sites or temporary jobs. Mahika continues,

“Some days my papa just waits for the truck, but it never comes. He doesn’t get any work then and we all have to manage with nothing.”

Her mother works in a footwear factory, and together they try to make ends meet. Even so, their income remains unstable, making daily life uncertain.

Before joining the project, Mihika had never been to school. She stayed at home helping her mother and had no exposure to structured learning. She shares,

"I didn’t know anything before. But when I saw my brother learning, I wanted to go too.”

Once Mihika joined the project, she started receiving academic support, stationery, and a nutritious meal each day. These simple but essential things helped her feel included and supported. She shares,

“They give me notebooks, pencils… and they teach me so nicely!”

Pictured below: Mihika at the project

With support from Toybox local partner, CHETNA, Mihika’s family was also able to apply for Aadhaar cards (official ID cards used in India) and other official documents — something they had never had before.

“Earlier, we didn’t have any Aadhaar or anything. CHETNA helped us with all that—now we have identity, and that feels important.”

Now in Grade 6, Mihika is making steady progress with her studies. She reflects,

“I can now do maths I read Hindi really well. I understand small things in English too, just sometimes I get confused when big words come together. I love being at the project. I study with my friends, play games with didi, and help the younger kids too.”

Beyond the classroom, Mihika is a regular contributor to Balaknama, a newspaper written by and for children in street situations. She shares, “Every day, I try to share something for Balaknama. If something wrong is happening to a child, or something unusual is going on, I think – this could be news.”

Inspired by her progress, Mihika’s parents have since connected three of her siblings to the project too.

“Now all of us are studying and learning. Our whole family is changing.”

Mihika believes strongly that girls from backgrounds like hers should be given equal opportunities to learn and follow their dreams. She concludes,

“I want every girl to get a chance to study. We can do anything if we are given the opportunity.I used to feel I was just a labourer’s daughter, but now I believe I can become something.”

Pictured below: Mahika at the project