It was something totally unexpected for her. The day after mid-day featured Maya Muktai’s amazing story, ‘13-year-old bride went from rag-picking to representing India at UN’ (January 21, 2022), Cyrus Poonawalla, head of the Serum Institute of India, contacted her. He wanted to help her in her mission. He offered to give her a car to help her travel to the villages around Nashik city, bringing issues faced by villagers to the authorities’ attention. On Tuesday, she was presented it.

The rag-picker-turned-video journalist’s determination to follow these issues till they are resolved, means she’s almost always running out of money.