TEDWomen 2018
Ashweetha Shetty: How education helped me rewrite my life
Filmed:
Readability: 3.7
1,979,291 views
There's no greater freedom than finding your purpose, says education advocate Ashweetha Shetty. Born to a poor family in rural India, Shetty didn't let the social norms of her community stifle her dreams and silence her voice. In this personal talk, she shares how she found self-worth through education -- and how she's working to empower other rural youth to explore their potential. "All of us are born into a reality that we blindly accept -- until something awakens us and a new world opens up," Shetty says.
Ashweetha Shetty - Rural social worker
Through her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities. Full bio
Through her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
I was eight years old.
0
792
2476
00:15
I remember that day clearly
1
3292
2142
00:17
like it happened just yesterday.
2
5458
2250
00:20
My mother is a bidi roller.
3
8542
2809
00:23
She hand-rolls country cigarettes
to sustain our family.
to sustain our family.
4
11375
3583
00:27
She is a hard worker
5
15750
1809
00:29
and spent 10 to 12 hours
every day rolling bidis.
every day rolling bidis.
6
17583
4292
00:34
That particular day she came home
and showed me her bidi-rolling wage book.
and showed me her bidi-rolling wage book.
7
22500
5101
00:39
She asked me how much money
she has earned that week.
she has earned that week.
8
27625
3833
00:44
I went through that book,
9
32333
1560
00:45
and what caught my eyes
were her thumbprints on each page.
were her thumbprints on each page.
10
33917
4416
00:51
My mother has never been to school.
11
39750
2417
00:54
She uses her thumbprints
instead of a signature
instead of a signature
12
42875
3518
00:58
to keep a record of her earnings.
13
46417
1916
01:01
On that day, for some reason,
14
49292
2476
01:03
I wanted to teach her
how to hold a pen and write her name.
how to hold a pen and write her name.
15
51792
4434
01:08
She was reluctant at first.
16
56250
2018
01:10
She smiled innocently and said no.
17
58292
2666
01:13
But deep down, I was sure
she wanted to give it a try.
she wanted to give it a try.
18
61875
4309
01:18
With a little bit of perseverance
and a lot of effort,
and a lot of effort,
19
66208
3226
01:21
we managed to write her name.
20
69458
1810
01:23
Her hands were trembling,
and her face was beaming with pride.
and her face was beaming with pride.
21
71292
3916
01:29
As I watched her do this,
22
77000
1893
01:30
for the first time in my life,
23
78917
2601
01:33
I had a priceless feeling:
24
81542
3101
01:36
that I could be of some use to this world.
25
84667
3541
01:42
That feeling was very special,
26
90042
2517
01:44
because I am not meant to be useful.
27
92583
2667
01:48
In rural India, girls are generally
considered worthless.
considered worthless.
28
96000
3976
01:52
They're a liability or a burden.
29
100000
2601
01:54
If they are considered useful,
30
102625
1976
01:56
it is only to cook dishes,
keep the house clean
keep the house clean
31
104625
3268
01:59
or raise children.
32
107917
1333
02:02
As a second daughter
of my conservative Indian family,
of my conservative Indian family,
33
110208
3476
02:05
I was fairly clear from a very early age
34
113708
3351
02:09
that no one expected anything from me.
35
117083
3084
02:13
I was conditioned to believe that
the three identities that defined me --
the three identities that defined me --
36
121250
4809
02:18
poor village girl --
37
126083
2768
02:20
meant that I was to live a life
of no voice and no choice.
of no voice and no choice.
38
128875
4792
02:27
These three identities forced me to think
39
135000
3893
02:30
that I should never have been born.
40
138917
2791
02:35
Yet, I was.
41
143708
2500
02:39
All throughout my childhood,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
as I rolled bidis alongside my mother,
42
147208
4226
02:43
I would wonder:
43
151458
2060
02:45
What did my future hold?
44
153542
1625
02:48
I often asked my mother,
with a lot of anxiety,
with a lot of anxiety,
45
156333
3560
02:51
"Amma, will my life
be different from yours?
be different from yours?
46
159917
2833
02:55
Will I have a chance to choose my life?
47
163583
2250
02:59
Will I go to college?"
48
167125
1417
03:01
And she would reply back,
49
169958
1834
03:05
"Try to finish high school first."
50
173333
1875
03:08
I am sure my mother
did not mean to discourage me.
did not mean to discourage me.
51
176458
3601
03:12
She only wanted me to understand
52
180083
2476
03:14
that my dreams might be too big
for a girl in my village.
for a girl in my village.
53
182583
4167
03:20
When I was 13, I found
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
the autobiography of Helen Keller.
54
188458
3792
03:25
Helen became my inspiration.
55
193417
2142
03:27
I admired her indomitable spirit.
56
195583
2851
03:30
I wanted to have
a college degree like her,
a college degree like her,
57
198458
2601
03:33
so I fought with my father
and my relatives to be sent to college,
and my relatives to be sent to college,
58
201083
4310
03:37
and it worked.
59
205417
1250
03:40
During my final year
of my undergraduate degree,
of my undergraduate degree,
60
208875
2601
03:43
I desperately wanted to escape
from being forced into marriage,
from being forced into marriage,
61
211500
4351
03:47
so I applied to
a fellowship program in Delhi,
a fellowship program in Delhi,
62
215875
2434
03:50
which is about 1,600 miles
away from my village.
away from my village.
63
218333
3435
03:53
(Laughter)
64
221792
2375
03:57
In fact, I recall that the only way
I could fill out the application
I could fill out the application
65
225333
4810
04:02
was during my commute to college.
66
230167
2000
04:05
I did not have access to computers,
67
233208
2518
04:07
so I had to borrow
a college junior's cell phone.
a college junior's cell phone.
68
235750
3601
04:11
As a woman, I could not
be seen with a cell phone,
be seen with a cell phone,
69
239375
3434
04:14
so I used to huddle
his phone under my shawl
his phone under my shawl
70
242833
2893
04:17
and type as slowly as possible
71
245750
2893
04:20
to ensure that I would not be heard.
72
248667
2583
04:25
After many rounds of interviews,
73
253167
1851
04:27
I got into the fellowship program
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
74
255042
3809
04:30
My father was confused,
my mother was worried --
my mother was worried --
75
258875
3809
04:34
(Applause)
76
262708
4518
04:39
My father was confused,
my mother was worried,
my mother was worried,
77
267250
2934
04:42
but I felt butterflies in my stomach
78
270208
2726
04:44
because I was going
to step out of my village
to step out of my village
79
272958
3018
04:48
for the first time
80
276000
1309
04:49
to study in the national capital.
81
277333
2000
04:53
Of the 97 fellows selected that year,
82
281292
2517
04:55
I was the only rural college graduate.
83
283833
2542
04:59
There was no one there
who looked like me or spoke like me.
who looked like me or spoke like me.
84
287292
2833
05:03
I felt alienated, intimidated
and judged by many.
and judged by many.
85
291250
3958
05:08
One fellow called me "Coconut Girl."
86
296375
2333
05:11
Can you guess why?
87
299875
2018
05:13
Anyone?
88
301917
1250
05:16
That's because I applied
a lot of coconut oil to my hair.
a lot of coconut oil to my hair.
89
304167
4101
05:20
(Laughter)
90
308292
2309
05:22
Another asked me where
I had learned to speak English,
I had learned to speak English,
91
310625
3684
05:26
and some of my peers did not prefer
to have me on their assignment teams
to have me on their assignment teams
92
314333
4518
05:30
because they thought I would not be able
to contribute to their discussion.
to contribute to their discussion.
93
318875
4559
05:35
I felt that many of my peers
believed that a person from rural India
believed that a person from rural India
94
323458
5351
05:40
could not supply anything of value,
95
328833
2268
05:43
yet the majority of Indian
population today is rural.
population today is rural.
96
331125
3625
05:48
I realized that stories like mine
were considered to be an exception
were considered to be an exception
97
336292
5184
05:53
and never the expectation.
98
341500
2042
05:57
I believe that all of us are born
into a reality that we blindly accept
into a reality that we blindly accept
99
345583
4976
06:02
until something awakens us
and a new world opens up.
and a new world opens up.
100
350583
3875
06:07
When I saw my mother's first signature
on her bidi-rolling wage book,
on her bidi-rolling wage book,
101
355292
5476
06:12
when I felt the hot
Delhi air against my face
Delhi air against my face
102
360792
2934
06:15
after a 50-hour train journey,
103
363750
2893
06:18
when I finally felt free
and let myself be,
and let myself be,
104
366667
3517
06:22
I saw a glimpse
of that new world I longed for,
of that new world I longed for,
105
370208
3310
06:25
a world where a girl like me
is no longer a liability or a burden
is no longer a liability or a burden
106
373542
4184
06:29
but a person of use, a person of value
107
377750
2643
06:32
and a person of worthiness.
108
380417
1666
06:35
By the time my fellowship ended,
my life had changed.
my life had changed.
109
383583
3643
06:39
Not only had I traced my lost voice,
110
387250
2476
06:41
but also had a choice
to make myself useful.
to make myself useful.
111
389750
3292
06:46
I was 22.
112
394417
1684
06:48
I came back to my village
to set up the Bodhi Tree Foundation,
to set up the Bodhi Tree Foundation,
113
396125
3559
06:51
an institution that supports rural youth
114
399708
3101
06:54
by providing them with education,
life skills and opportunities.
life skills and opportunities.
115
402833
3834
06:59
We work closely with our rural youth
116
407542
2017
07:01
to change their life
and to benefit our communities.
and to benefit our communities.
117
409583
3209
07:06
How do I know my institution is working?
118
414333
2209
07:09
Well, six months ago, we had a new joinee.
119
417417
3351
07:12
Her name is Kaviarasi.
120
420792
2101
07:14
I first spotted her
in a local college in Tirunelveli
in a local college in Tirunelveli
121
422917
3476
07:18
during one of my training sessions.
122
426417
2267
07:20
As you can see, she has a smile
which you can never forget.
which you can never forget.
123
428708
3459
07:25
We guided her to get an opportunity
to study at Ashoka University, Delhi.
to study at Ashoka University, Delhi.
124
433958
4810
07:30
The best part of her story is that
she is now back at Bodhi Tree as a trainer
she is now back at Bodhi Tree as a trainer
125
438792
5726
07:36
working with dedication to make a change
in the lives of others like her.
in the lives of others like her.
126
444542
5101
07:41
Kaviarasi doesn't want
to feel like an exception.
to feel like an exception.
127
449667
2976
07:44
She wants to be of use
to others in this world.
to others in this world.
128
452667
3375
07:49
Recently, Kaviarasi mentored Anitha,
129
457417
3142
07:52
who also comes
from a remote, rural village,
from a remote, rural village,
130
460583
2226
07:54
lives in a 10-foot-by-10-foot home,
131
462833
2060
07:56
her parents are also farm laborers.
132
464917
2726
07:59
Kaviarasi helped Anitha secure admission
in a prestigious undergraduate program
in a prestigious undergraduate program
133
467667
5142
08:04
in a top university in India
with a full scholarship.
with a full scholarship.
134
472833
2959
08:08
When Anitha's parents
were reluctant to send her that far,
were reluctant to send her that far,
135
476542
2851
08:11
we asked the district
administration officials
administration officials
136
479417
2267
08:13
to speak to Anitha's parents,
137
481708
1601
08:15
and it worked.
138
483333
1268
08:16
And then there is Padma.
139
484625
3059
08:19
Padma and I went to college together.
140
487708
2268
08:22
She's the first in her entire village
to attend graduation.
to attend graduation.
141
490000
3750
08:26
She had been working with me at Bodhi Tree
142
494458
2601
08:29
until one day she decides
to go to graduate school.
to go to graduate school.
143
497083
3435
08:32
I asked her why.
144
500542
1892
08:34
She told me that she wanted to make sure
145
502458
2476
08:36
that she would never be
a liability or a burden to anyone
a liability or a burden to anyone
146
504958
3935
08:40
at any point in her life.
147
508917
1750
08:43
Padma, Anitha and Kaviarasi
148
511667
2141
08:45
grew up in the most tough
families and communities
families and communities
149
513832
2726
08:48
one could only imagine.
150
516582
1668
08:50
Yet the journey of finding
my usefulness in this world
my usefulness in this world
151
518917
3641
08:54
served them in finding
their usefulness to this world.
their usefulness to this world.
152
522582
3126
08:59
Of course there are challenges.
153
527958
1601
09:01
I'm aware change
does not happen overnight.
does not happen overnight.
154
529583
2685
09:04
A lot of my work involves working
with families and communities
with families and communities
155
532292
4392
09:08
to help them understand
why getting an education
why getting an education
156
536708
2893
09:11
is useful for everyone.
157
539625
1458
09:13
The quickest way
to convince them is by doing.
to convince them is by doing.
158
541625
2643
09:16
When they see their kids
getting a real education,
getting a real education,
159
544292
2559
09:18
getting a real job, they begin to change.
160
546875
2375
09:21
The best example
is what happened at my home.
is what happened at my home.
161
549917
3333
09:26
I was recently given an award
in recognition of my social work
in recognition of my social work
162
554250
3976
09:30
by the chief minister of my state.
163
558250
2083
09:33
That meant I was going
to be on television.
to be on television.
164
561167
2559
09:35
(Laughter)
165
563750
2434
09:38
Everyone was hooked on to the television
that morning, including my parents.
that morning, including my parents.
166
566208
5393
09:43
I would like to believe
that seeing her daughter on television
that seeing her daughter on television
167
571625
3684
09:47
made my mother feel useful too.
168
575333
2125
09:50
Hopefully, she will stop
pressuring me to get married now.
pressuring me to get married now.
169
578667
3642
09:54
(Laughter)
170
582333
2334
09:58
Finding my use has helped me
to break free from the identities
to break free from the identities
171
586542
3976
10:02
society thrusts on me --
172
590542
2351
10:04
poor village girl.
173
592917
2791
10:08
Finding my use has helped me
to break free from being boxed,
to break free from being boxed,
174
596417
3934
10:12
caged and bottled.
175
600375
1458
10:15
Finding my use has helped me
to find my voice,
to find my voice,
176
603042
3267
10:18
my self-worth and my freedom.
177
606333
1917
10:21
I leave you with this thought:
178
609292
1559
10:22
Where do you feel useful to this world?
179
610875
2292
10:25
Because the answer to that question
180
613917
1767
10:27
is where you will find
your voice and your freedom.
your voice and your freedom.
181
615708
2917
10:31
Thank you.
182
619250
1268
10:32
(Applause)
183
620542
5375
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ashweetha Shetty - Rural social workerThrough her nonprofit, Bodhi Tree Foundation, Ashweetha Shetty supports first-generation college students in rural India to explore their potential through education, life skills and opportunities.
Why you should listen
As a girl in a poor orthodox community in a south Indian village, Ashweetha Shetty was constantly told that her birth was not celebrated and that she would be a liability to her family. The social norms prescribed for her identity silenced her dreams, thoughts and aspirations. But through the power of education, she became a first-generation college graduate and had a chance to rewrite the possibilities for her life. As she says: "I always wanted to add my bit to their inspiring journey."
Ashweetha Shetty | Speaker | TED.com