From grinding poverty to graduation

Namaste to everybody!

The above quote from Albert Einstein is one of our favourite quotes!

But I am going to hand over this report now to one of our sponsored students, who wants to tell you his story. GlobalGiving are quite rightly very careful about publishing personally identifiable information so we have changed the name but nothing else has been changed.

“Hello Everyone.

My name is Gordon and I am now 18 years old. I am studying commerce at Gaya College. My family is very poor and sent me to work at ten years old ,and I was washing pots at a roadside café (dhaba). No-one in my family has an education.

My father and mother cannot read and write.

I remember very well the day  when the village teacher came from the People First village school to see me. I was not attending the school ,but he said he had heard that I was working washing pots ,and that with what little money I had left after giving most of my earnings to my parents, that I had bought a simple alphabet book and was trying to learn the letters. He told me that he was going to speak to my parents and try and get permission for to get sponsored by People First for an education in a residential school of my choice. I said yes, as the owner of the roadside stall did not treat me well and sometimes slapped and hit me.

I went to school but it was hard.

In India class progression is not based on age but on passing the grades, so I was sitting in a class of five and six-year olds. I wanted to give up, but the school were so kind. They gave me extra tuition and I studied hard and soon progressed through the classes. After some years I got first division in my school leaving examinations (the top ten per cent )and know I am studying commerce with a bright future ahead of me 

The funds came from the sponsorship fund that you have donated to, so please accept my heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you all.

Gordon   

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Hello everyone
I am Naresh Sir the Director of Education here at People First.
Namaste to our supporters and friends.
Regular readers of this project update will have heard from so many young people whose lives have been totally transformed through the power of education.
But I thought this time I would explain the way the program works.
There are two strands to it.. the first is encouraging girls to stay in school and complete thier education by passing the class ten exams. You will have heard from girls who have been supported in this way. We work closely with teachers and parents and of course the students themselves. Over the past five years 75 girls have been helped this way.
NDTV a national television channel highlighted one of these students now a teacher at the school and you find the film on our website at www.peoplefirstbihar.org.
The other strand is supporting students through college and further education either academic or vocational. Due to financial reasons places are very limited and are awarded on merit.
I want to thank you for your support and absolutely confirm that this is a life changing program which will affect not only the students who go on to get good employment but are also then able to educate their own children as well. A change for good.
Here's what one student says
'My family could never afford to give me a good education that is why this program is so important to me. Education for me is not a desirable option it is my escape from a world of poverty into the light.
Thank you so much for your support'

With Thanks again to you all
Naresh

Links:

• Our website