Fighting odds via Education

Overcoming Challenges Through Education-

Anushka’s father, Pawan is a native of Kimadi village, Dehradun, Uttarakhand. Pawan drives a truck

for a vehicle owner. Sometimes when there is not enough work for the owner, he works as casual labor. On an average, his income is Rs 10,000 / per month. Anushka’s mother Pinky is a housewife. She has an elder sister, Anshika who is also studying in PYDS Learning Academy in class VII.

The family has some farming land, which is lying barren, as villagers have abandoned farming due to wild boars and other wild animals. Pawan shares his ancestral house with his brother. They have 3 rooms, a small veranda, a kitchen and a washroom. The house is not maintained due to obvious financial reasons. They have limited household items with utensils and vessels.

Though Anushka is a brainy child, yet she was not able to avail quality education. With BCML CSR support to PYDS for children (predominantly girls) with potential, from deeply needy and underprivileged families PYDS is able to impart high-quality academics, adequate nutrition, and comprehensive health care to Anushka at no cost to her family. She has been shifted to the school hostel and is making remarkable progress. She is able to understand each concept very well. She uses knowledge of place value concepts accurately to compare two or more two – digit numbers and provides written justification of thinking as evidence to prove that her answer is correct. She is able to analyze character actions, story plots, and shows strong fluency with reading. Recently, she wrote a very brief and interesting summary on Lindbergh’s flying spirit and since she is enthusiastic in co – curricular activities too, she is proving to be an inspiration for other girls too.

‘Balrampur Foundation: Empowering Education Through Transformational Change’

Mr. Shukla currently works as the principal. He has been posted at this school since 2011 and faced the challenge of the school’s deficient infrastructure. The school lacked basic student facilities, including furniture, toilets, fans, etc. Due to poor fencing, animals were free to roam on school grounds, and the school property was at risk of damage and theft. This resulted in many students remaining absent and decreasing enrollments at the school as parents transferred their children to private schools.

Balrampur Foundation approached his school in 2021 with the offer to improve its condition. Through their CSR program, they provided infrastructural support for the renovation of classrooms, proper electric wiring, installation of fans, building pakka floors in the school, and a boundary wall on the school premises. The provision of benches, desks, tables, chairs, and almirahs by Balrampur Foundation has improved the learning environment in the school and reduced the dropout rate among students. In addition to the school building, a well-equipped playground has also been created so that students can be involved in sports, ensuring a more holistic development that includes mental and physical aspects.