Divya is the daughter of Thirupathi and Iyammal, residing at Rajagopal Nagar, Kovilpatti, Tuticorin district. She belongs to Kal Oddar (Kattu Nayakkar) community. Divya has two younger brothers and a younger siter. She scored 233 marks in Class 10 and 292 in Class 12. Until Class 10, she was a beneficiary of the evening study centre run by IDEAS. She was very active and participated in several training sessions. She took a liking on Child rights and legal awareness sessions.

She participated in the summer special camps in 2024 and 2025 organised by IDEAS. She was impressed by the sharing of the resource persons. 2024 summer camp was a turning point in the life of Divya. She desired to take up legal studies and become an advocate. The summer camp participation 2025, the second camp, made deep impressions on the importance of education. Eventually, she developed an interest in legal studies.

No one in Divya’s family or in their community received good education. A few completed Class 8 and not more. It is also a reality that child marriage had been prevalent in this community. This blocked the education of the children. Despite offering many training sessions, it was not easy to stop child marriages.

Moreover, to join a government school, one needs caste certificate. For Kal Oddar community getting a caste certificate has been a big challenge. Some are certified as ‘Kuravar’ and a few are certified as ‘Kattu Nayakkar’. Very few in the community received caste certificate as ‘Kattu Nayakkar’.

With the help of individuals and organisation she has joined Thangapalam Law College, Tenkasi. To reach this stage, Divya had to cross many hurdles in the family and society. Though Divya is an individual, she stands as a sign of hope for many in the community. Divya represents group of boys and girls who are showing interest in education. She belongs to a new generation of educated people. She is grateful to evening study centers organized by IDEAS which is bringing new hopes among the Kal Oddars, a community which is educationally still lagging behind.

Prabhu, Trainer, Kal Oddar