Say the letter ‘P’ and Nalini Shelake will say ‘Police!’ – for that is her dream job!
For a long time though, that dream seemed unattainable. Nalini Shelake comes from Aros Village, where daily life was a struggle. Her parents are farmers, and had to work very hard to make ends meet for their five children. Nalini had to put aside her dreams of study and go to work in the fields. “For years, I have given my father a hand in the paddy and wheat fields, in tilling land, sowing seeds, watering the fields, picking the harvest and loading it into the small cart for taking to the market,” she recalls. In addition to her strenuous work schedule, she had to make several trips to the city – by walk – for every basic need.
Nalini finally got her break in 2007, when she joined Kumari Deepa Devi Singh AIM for Seva Chatralayam in Sawantwadi, Maharashtra. Thrilled to be given a chance to focus fully on her studies, and with added support in every sense, she plunged into her studies with full force. No wonder then that she scored 98% in her Class 10 Board Exams and 93% in her Class 12 Board Exams!
After completing her schooling, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming a police officer. She aced the entrance examination, which included an 800-metre race (which she completed in 2 minutes and 48 seconds), shot put, physical strength and a written examination. Today, Nalini is posted as a police officer in the Mumbai Railway Station, and she aspires to become an IPS officer and serve India.
“AIM for Seva is the best thing that could have happened to me. It is here that I learnt that perseverance can help realize one’s passion,” says Nalini with a happy smile.