By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder
Thank you so much for your support of our slum schools. It's thanks to you that we have recently opened our eighth center in our city of Ahmednagar, taking the number of children attending our classes from 700 to 900! These classes are vital in uplifting families, communities and indivduals such as Saitee.
While for some of us attending school is a rite of passage for others it requires grit, determination and the self-belief that their futures are worth investing in. To soar high and achieve their dreams, they need to put in extra efforts and dedication to complete their education. Children are like clay, shaped by their parents and carers actions. In situations where parents are struggling to support their families, our Balbhavan team plugs the gap by providing education, inculcating good values and recognizing children’s talents and skills to inspire them.
One father, Saied, a grave-digger, is haunted by his own limited education as he toils in a cemetery to provide for the daily needs of his family – two daughters and three sons. As a manual labourer working on a minimal wage, Saied has little energy left at the end of the day to attend to his children's needs. Our team conducts home visits to all childen living in all the slums we operate iand this included Saied and his family. Smart and diligent from an early age, we were able to support his daughter Saitee to take admission in Ahmednagar High School. However it is her own enthusiasm and determination that has helped her overcome many hurdles to progress further.
Being a girl, her parents were not that supportive of her dreams to gain a good education, insisiting she take on household duties over study. Despite this, she was determined, managing her home responsibilities and homework equally. Both the understanding of her school and our Balbhavan played a significant role in shaping her academic and personal progress. She managed well until 8th std when her parents decided she was now well enough educated and stopped letting her attend school. They wanted her to put her full focus on her housework and being at home to support her family. She didn’t back down and constantly lobbied her parents on the importance of continuing her education.
When she asked for our help together we were able to convince Saitee's mother of how much potential she had in achieving good grades and the world this would open up to her when she reached adulthood. It worked and Saitee was able to continue her education up to 10th std, supported through regular home visits and guidance from our team.
Did we mention how driven she was? During her school vacations, Saitee joined Mehendi and sewing classes, developing a passion for designing blouses and dresses. With a natural flair, she soon started taking orders for wedding dresses and Mehendi designs. On top of her housework and studies she was now contributing financially to the family and securing her own finance to pay for her further studies. Even though she had already proven she was willing and able to go over and above to contribute she still faced opposition to continuing into 11 and 12 stds. Promising she would continue to do all the required work at home and keep sewing to pay for her own education her parents relented.
She stayed true to her word, and earlier this year received 74.33% in her 12th std exams – topping the tables with the highest mark throughout all of our Balbhavan centers. Having already proven herself as an ideal student, her dream is to become an ideal teacher and continue her legacy of ensuring 12 years of education for every child. Our proud Balbhavan team is ready to stand firm with her, supporting her every step of the way.
Your support of this project ensures we are able to help more girls like Saitee and I am sincerely grateful to you.
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By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder
By Dr Girish Kulkarni | Founder
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