Rangolis, Crime Fiction, & Lab Technology
Babitha's story is one of transformation, courage, and unwavering determination. When Babitha came to Baale Mane as an older teen, she was scared, unsure, and missing her home and friends. Her first week at the home was difficult.
Despite coming from a challenging background into an unfamiliar environment, Babitha settled into Baale Mane quickly. “She was very confident and talkative. Within the first month, her strong leadership qualities were shown,” says Vanaja, head of care.
Her time at Pre-University College (PUC) marked a turning point. Babitha is a hard-working student who loves participating in cultural activities in college and at Baale Mane. Through PUC she participated in sports, singing, and dance. As a natural leader, she was elected a student-administration liaison. She also anchored many events at Baale Mane and college. She also encouraged all the other girls – to study and complete their chores.
Babitha’s enthusiasm to learn new skills means that the Life Skills and Wellbeing sessions were some of her favourite programmes. These interactive sessions covered topics like early marriage, behavioural skills, and sexual health. "The instructors explained different ideas in a way that related to our lives," she recalls.
Career guidance sessions were also vital and helped her choose academic and professional aspirations. With clear goals in mind, Babitha set out to pursue higher education in STEM-related fields and improve her English skills.
Today, Babitha is pursuing a Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Technology, and she's thriving. Her leadership qualities are still strong– she's now the class representative, showcasing her ability to inspire and organize. The transition to hostel life, initially challenging, has become a learning opportunity. Surrounded by students from across India, she is now learning to speak Malayalam, Hindi, and Bengali from her roommates.
Babitha is a bright young woman with many interests. As a lover of horror and crime fiction in both English and Kannada, she reads and writes in these genres. Her love for music transcends language barriers – she listens to songs in any language.
Babitha fondly remembers celebrating festivals at Baale Mane – the rituals, the food, the special clothes. The excitement of getting new bangles, bindis, and Mehendi made these celebrations truly memorable. “I was usually in charge of some part of the celebration – from helping make the sweets or doing the rituals or putting the rangolis, I loved it,” says Babitha.
Babitha has a clear vision for the future – she wants to give back to her mother, her sister, and to Baale Mane. Her journey shows how structured care, and support can help build bright futures.
