Dreamer of dreams- Sunanda, Health Assistant, Karunashraya

“I hail from Eligehalli Colony in Magadi on the outskirts of Bangalore. I had a happy childhood and was fortunate to be born in a family that was not restrained by the shackles of conservatism. Perhaps this had to do with my father being a government school teacher. He did not differentiate between us and ensured that all of us were educated. My two elder sisters have completed BA and my brothers BA and BSc respectively and my younger sister is doing a course in Nursing. I was the only one who was not keen on further studies. Instead, I dreamt of working and earning and having an independent life. However, I also wanted to help people in dire circumstances and make a difference in their lives. After completing SSLC in 2005, I dreamed of getting into a paying job. It was then that my neighbour showed me an advertisement from Karunashraya in a Kannada daily which invited applications for the Health Assistant Programme. Two other friends from the same village and I applied and were