Impact Stories
Educational assistance stopped a girl from dropping out after Class 10
The unprecedented Covid-19 turned life upside down for everyone. The worst impacted were the poor and the lower middle class. It took away several lives and shook the economic structure leading to unemployment for many. In one such case, Mahendrabhai Raval, 35, who used to work gardener in a company with a salary of Rs 15,000 per month lost his job. His three children - Nimisha (17) Rahul (14) and Ayush (10) and his wife Chetna who worked as a househelp suddenly were at crossroads.
His wife too couldn't contribute at home as the employers didn't call her for the work fearing spread. Mahendrabhai's father made a paltry income from farming. He too couldn't do much. Residents of Por village near Gandhinagar, they live in a house with two rooms with balcony. His daughter was in Class 10 in 2020. She was studying in a government school. Meanwhile, the lockdown was lifted markets began to open again with measures in place. So, he started looking for gardening work again. He says, "I had to start with Rs 2,000 per month. Sometimes, I had to go far for a meagre Rs 300 for gardening. It was a tough time. Whatever income - small to the smallest meant for our survival."
Despite struggling times, he ensured that his daughter studies well. She scored 78% in Class 10. He says, " With no government school in Por village after Class 10, we felt that she had to drop out. It was not possible for me to pay the private school fees. But she was determined to study." His daughter, Nimisha says, "It is my dream to be an IPS officer. I will study hard but I want to make this happen. With our poor situation, I lost hope and felt that I will be deprived of studies. I told this to a friend who assured me that I could get some help. She consulted Mazdoor.co team members and they visited us. They assured us of help and provided us a cheque for the yearly fees amounting to Rs 23,500."
She clearly states without the support of Mazdoor team member, I wouldn't have been studying. She was guided by her teachers of government school to opt for Commerce. She still ranks first in the class in the new school. The name of her new school is Apollo International School in Kudasan village. Studying in Gujarati medium, she finds Account and Statistics bit difficult. For so many months, she had to study online. She mentions, "We had only one smart phone and three of us had to attend the classes. So, we had to plan accordingly. Moreover, learning Accounts and Statistics is not easy online. But our school teachers are really good. They guide me whenever I need help. As the schools have opened now, learning has become more fun. Business Administration and Economics are my favourite subjects."
They feel Mazdoor.co team members were like angels sent by God. They have a deep gratitude towards them. Nimisha studies at least four hours a day besides school and homework. Her father says, "Education has become very costly. Other schools charge fees of Rs 65,000 or more than it." He adds, "This school is good. With less students, it looks like a one batch of personal tuitions only. Teachers too are helpful and solve her queries. They took the classes specifically to attend queries of students for the chapters they taught online." He feels education is the way to overcome poverty. It will help them to get job and stand on their own feet.
Nimisha is firm to make her parents proud of her achievements. She wants to work hard and score well in exams. “Education can build my self confidence. It will lead to my development and enable me to help others. I am glad that school has started." Her eyes are set on the results. She is hoping to score well in Class 11 and is all charged up to prepare herself for Class 12. We wish her the best.
