INDIA. Mumbai: Nineteen-year-old Manya Omprakash Singh, from Uttar Pradesh, made a sweet victory when she was declared as the VLCC Femina Miss India 2020- Runner up on Wednesday. The Femina Miss India event was held in Mumbai this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time in the history of Femina Miss India, the entire process of the contest was held digitally.
The inspiring story of Manya Singh
Singh’s father is an auto-rickshaw driver who was unable to pay her school fees due to poor financial conditions. Due to this, she was unable to attend school from grade 3 to grade 8. Despite all the hardships, Singh’s undying spirit to pursue education motivated her to continue her studies. At the ripe age of 14, she escaped her home and went to Mumbai. To pay for her school fees, Singh started to work in a Pizza Hut. Overcoming all her struggles, she excelled in her studies. Singh received the ‘Best Student Award’ in her 12th board exam and scored 80% in her 10th board exam.
Due to poor financial conditions, she couldn’t take grooming classes for the beauty pageant. Her classmates used to bully her for being ugly. During her college, she registered herself for many ‘Campus Beauty’ events but couldn’t pass through the first round in any of them. Singh’s mother has been a pillar of strength for her. She is grateful for her mother’s hardship that has helped her to walk on the road to success.
“Being a rickshaw driver’s daughter, I never had the opportunity to attend school as I had to start working in my teens. All the clothes I had were hand-me-downs. I yearned for books, but luck wasn’t in my favor. Eventually, my parents mortgaged whatever little jewelry my mother had to ensure that I paid my exam fees in order to earn a degree. My mother has suffered a lot to provide for me. At 14, I ran away from home. I somehow managed to complete my studies in the day, became a dishwasher in the evening, and worked at a call center at night. I’ve walked hours to reach places so I could save the rickshaw fare.” She has shared her story through The Miss India organization’s Instagram account.
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Being a model, she has walked the ramp for reputed fashion shows like Lakme and Times fashion week. Her fondness for cat walking incited her to watch videos that taught her the ‘art of ramp-walking’.
“My blood, sweat, and tears have amalgamated into the courage to pursue my dreams,” she said in a post. Elucidating that her sleepless nights and hard work dwelled in together to make her a strong-willed and courageous woman that she is today.
