From Pandemic Heroics to Everyday Struggles: The Unfulfilled Promise for Jyoti Kumari

In January 2020, 15-year-old Jyoti Kumari cycled more than 700 miles from Gurugram to her village of Sirhulli in Bihar, carrying her injured father, Mohan Paswan, on a pad attached to her pink bicycle. The ride, undertaken during India’s strict pandemic shutdown, earned worldwide headlines and sparked promises of cash rewards, sports training, and a potential movie deal.

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Six years later, Kumari says the pledged support never materialized. After Paswan’s death from a heart attack in May 2021, the family’s financial security grew precarious. Her mother now works as a cook, and the household relies on modest earnings to feed Kumari, three siblings, and an older sister who has moved out.

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Kumari’s daily routine begins at 7 a.m. She prepares breakfast for her brothers, cares for younger siblings, cleans the house, washes clothes by hand, and completes chores before she can study. She has yet to pass the Class 12 exam required for university admission or many jobs. “Once my education is fully complete, only then will I be able to do something else. Only then can I prepare for things and look for a job,” she explains. Despite the burden, she remains determined to stay in her native village, citing her father’s precarious day-labor experience as a cautionary example.

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• “Once my education is fully complete, only then will I be able to do something else. Only then can I prepare for things and look for a job,” — Jyoti Kumari

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• “When you're poor, fame doesn't help. Only education can help you out of your difficulties. Otherwise, life becomes a never-ending obstacle course,” — Jyoti Kumari

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