Case Study – A Mother’s Battle 

Rahul’s (name changed) mother is the sole caregiver for her three sons and a daughter-in-law.

She previously worked as a domestic worker to support the family but lost her job due to regular court appearances related to Rahul’s case. She is currently in debt after taking a loan from an unofficial money lender, requiring her to pay ₹3000 per month as interest alone. 

She separated from her husband due to domestic violence and his alcohol dependency. During one such incident, he destroyed all their important documents, including the children’s birth certificates, and education records. Although Rahul’s mother is effectively a single parent she cannot avail the benefits of the Balsanghopan yojana government scheme as she is not legally divorced from the husband. The family also does not possess a ration card, limiting their access to subsidized food and other government welfare benefits.

Rahul and his elder brother both dropped out of school to support their family financially. Their younger brother has also been out of school for nearly a year, as the family has been unable to afford his school fees. 

Rahul’s mother shared that she finds it difficult to travel to court for hearings due to the long commute and feels lost navigating the process alone. She does not have much exposure and is not confident even with basic daily aspects like traveling in the local train. She mentioned that she has been feeling increasingly hopeless and overwhelmed because of the family’s financial and emotional stress and disclosed having suicidal thoughts.