Heena is a mother of two from Jaipur. Today, she carries herself with quiet confidence, working hard to build a stable future for her family. But just a few years ago, she felt utterly lost.

“I lost all hope after my husband’s sudden death during the COVID-19 pandemic. I felt like my whole world had crashed down,” she shares.

It was Heena’s mother who refused to let her give up. “She told me to get up and take charge of my life," Heena recalls.

With her mother’s encouragement, Heena enrolled at a local stitching centre to learn vocational skills and build a livelihood for her children. It was there that she first heard about the Pratham-Jameel Second Chance programme, which helps older girls and women who dropped out of school complete Grade 10, opening gateways to lifelong learning and earning opportunities.

Heena had left school at 15 after being unable to clear her Grade 10 exams. Returning to studies after a 19-year gap felt daunting, and not everyone was supportive. “People mocked me, saying, ‘What’s the point of studying at this age?'" she recalls. “But I decided to block out those voices and focus on my goal."

Balancing household responsibilities, childcare, and studies was no small feat. But steady encouragement from the Second Chance facilitators kept her going, and Heena persevered.

Then came the results — she had topped the Rajasthan State Open School Board.

“When I received the congratulatory call from Rajasthan’s Education Minister, I thought someone was playing a prank on me. I even told my mother not to believe it," she laughs. “But when I saw the result that evening and my teachers from Pratham confirmed it, I was elated. It was the best feeling of my life."

The achievement unlocked more than just a certificate. Today, Heena works as an insurance agent under the Life Insurance Corporation’s Bima Sakhi Scheme, earning enough to support her family comfortably. And she has no intention of stopping. After completing Grade 10, she is now studying for Grade 11 and plans to sit her Grade 12 exams in 2027.

Her message to other women is clear: “Learning has no age limit. I want to say to all the girls and women who may be hesitant about returning to education or pursuing work opportunities—never stop trying because sometimes a failure is your new beginning.”