Today, 45-year-old Lata is a familiar face in Charama, Chhattisgarh. She travels from village to village on her scooty, making several stops to meet families and talk to them about life insurance. It is hard to imagine, looking at her now, that for nearly three decades, her world rarely extended beyond her home.

Lata lives with her husband and two daughters. Her husband works as a land broker, earning an income of Rs 10,000 a month. Her elder daughter works as an office attendant in a school, while her younger daughter is pursuing a B.A program. But Lata's own story took a longer road to where it is today.

She could not study beyond Grade 9 because reaching school from her village everyday meant crossing a river by boat. Worried about her safety, Lata’s parents pulled her out of the school.

A few years later, at the age of 18, Lata got married. In the years that followed, her life folded into the rhythm of home and family and the possibility of returning to education seemed increasingly distant. And yet, something in her held on. Somewhere beneath the routines of daily life, Lata kept returning to a quiet question: could she do something more?

In 2023, that question found an answer when the Pratham team visited her village and told her about the Pratham-Jameel Second Chance program. It gave her the opening she had been waiting for — a chance to finish what she had left behind. Still, walking back into learning after 28 years was not a simple thing. “I had always wanted to do something more with my life," she recalls. “But I would often ask myself, would I be able to do it again?"

The Second Chance program supports girls and women who have dropped out of school to return to learning and complete Grade 10. Alongside academic support, the program also helps learners build digital and life skills, strengthening their confidence and preparing them for further opportunities.

Lata was determined to make the most of the opportunity. She attended classes, prepared for her examinations and gradually found her confidence as a learner again. When she passed with a second division, the moment stayed with her: “I cannot put into words how I felt."

But completing Grade 10 was just the beginning for her. “I wanted to do more in life and I knew completing Grade 12 was important too,” she says. As she continued thinking about what she could do next, Lata also began exploring ways to contribute to her family’s income.

Along with helping women qualify Grade 10, Pratham is bringing livelihood opportunities closer to home by delivering training within communities.

In 2025, the Pratham team introduced her to the Bima Sakhi Yojana by Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). The scheme provides women with an opportunity to work as LIC agents while building their skills, confidence and financial independence. Lata decided to pursue the opportunity. She had to clear an examination and undergo training.

Once she began working as a Bima Sakhi,  her work started with meeting families and explaining the benefits of life insurance. For someone who had spent much of her life within the home, approaching people and starting conversations was a new experience. But she kept going. With each conversation and visit, Lata’s confidence grew. The confidence she had begun building through her return to education now found a new expression in her work.

Within 10 months, Lata was earning an income of her own. Today, she contributes to household expenses and supports her younger daughter’s education, something that makes her journey back to learning all the more meaningful.

Looking back, Lata says, “Pratham gave me the opportunity to take that first step by believing in myself.” Her family feel extremely happy and proud of her success.

Today, Lata continues to study for her Grade 12 exams, work, and look ahead to new possibilities.