Tribal Girl Yearns For College

Alamelu has been waiting for her community certificate to enter college for more than one year. Alamelu is a tribal girl from the Gunavakam community. She completed her 12th grade last year, and she is now eager to continue her studies in college. But Alamelu has not a single chance of being admitted into any university without showing her community certificate. This document is very precious. It will entitle the young girl to education, scholarship, and jobs within the reservation quotas. Alamelu had made a request for her certificate last year, but the local Tehsildar – the Revenue Administrative Officer – has kept her waiting from then. She made several attempts last year, but she always faced the same refusals. "Alamelu is certainly one of the first people to request such a certificate. She is the first girl and the first tribal to be educated in this area. People do not accept that. Not giving her this document is a way to stop her from progressing," explained Mani. The young girl hopes to study arts and to become a teacher. But without her certificate she would have to stay at home and get married. Mani hopes that people who watch his video will take action, and eventually force the Tehsildar to issue the precious certificate to Alamelu.
No Cards

Community Voice Is Hard to Define. We’re Trying Anyway.

 
/ February 26, 2026

This piece summarizes the key findings from eight research reports recently published by Video Volunteers exploring how community voice works, where it breaks down, and what it actually produces when it is taken seriously.

No Cards

A Call for Research on AI’s Role in Amplifying the Insights of the Systemically Unheard

 
/ January 14, 2025

The article argues that systematically ignoring and silencing the voices of the poor and marginalized worldwide does not serve society or democracy well and must be countered. While new technologies such as AI could provide an opportunity for change, we contend that these technologies need to account more effectively for...

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *