Sold Flowers For A Living, She Will Now Get Her PhD Degree From the University of California

Sarita Mali used to sell flowers at the traffic points as a kid. Now she is set out to pursue a PhD from the University of California. 

Sarita Mali, a 28-year-old research scholar of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), Delhi went viral on Facebook recently because of the achievement she gained. Sarita Mali from Mumbai was born and raised in a slum area of Mumbai, and as a kid, she remembers going to sell flowers with her father in the traffic points of the metro city. Now she is all set out to get her PhD from the University of California. 

Sarita’s family had always struggled for money, and Sarita used to study in a Municipal school in Mumbai. After passing class X, she started giving tuition to the kids in her locality. She saved a lot of money and got admitted to KJ Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce. After completing her graduation, she also earned an MA degree in Hindi literature from JNU. Her father supported her throughout this journey.

“I have always had a passion for studies. At the age of 22, I entered the world of research. I am happy that this journey will continue for another 7 years.”, she wrote in her Facebook post that has gone viral on social media. It has got around 4K likes, 661 comments and 708 shares so far.

Sarita Mali wants to use her education to bring a change in society. She says that her heart breaks when she sees children running behind a car to sell items. “Each time I see children on the streets, I feel overwhelmed. There must be so many out there who can study and move upwards,” Sarita said in an interview. “In our country, not everyone gets the most important thing, which is opportunity. Hence, even if talented, youngsters from the marginalised sections miss out on a progressive life. The government should really promote free education and establish more public-funded universities.” 

Inspired by Sarita, her siblings – an elder sister and two brothers, also excelled in their studies while taking tuition for children. They are all engaged in preparing for competitive examinations.