Skyrocketing To The Stars!

Poverty! A child might be born into one, or fate might push a child into one! But no matter what the cause is, poverty is a wicked thief who steals the essence of childhood and promising opportunities! Nelson Mandela wisely said, “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is man-made and can be removed by the actions of human beings.” We, at Bala Mandir, strongly believe in undoing the actions of poverty through the Kinship Care programme.

Anandhan was one of the hardworking employees in a cycle shop. His hard work and commitment had earned the trust of the shop owner too. He led a peaceful life with his wife, Deepa and two children – Sasidharan and Preethi. Life wasn’t luxurious but was smooth until the onset of the pandemic. When the whole world was crumbling, the life of Sasidharan also crumbled. In its cruel sweep, Sasidharan had lost his father. Their once happy life; now looked uncertain!

Sasidharan was no ordinary boy. He had dreams. He had skyrocketing ambitions! He aimed to reach the skies. Now without his father, he silently buried his dreams. He did not want to burden his grieving mother who was struggling to make ends meet. He cried silent tears and tried to move on. But he did not give up. He knew education and knowledge had the power to lift anyone’s life. He turned his full focus on his school academics. But would he dare to dream high with no one to support him?!

It was at this juncture that the family was enrolled in Kinship Care. The family saw light along their dark path. Sasidharan was enrolled in the Happy Reading Programme and quickly finished the entire course. His English skills were dramatically improving that his teachers were surprised with his progress.

Sasidharan’s keenness to excel did not miss the eyes of the Kinship Care team too. He was shortlisted for the Aha Guru Advanced Math Training. It is a self-learning course which would train the children prepare for ambitious entrance exams like JEE/ NEET. With his grit and focus, he cleared the assessment for the Aha Guru Advanced Math training programme.

He was provided with a laptop to easily navigate through the course. His dreams were finally taking shape. He knew that this was a golden opportunity which he had dared to dream once upon a time. He took it up with great enthusiasm. He dutifully spent his extra time studying and understanding the course. His mother, Deepa, fully supported his efforts and gave the push he needed. She had rushed to the house in the middle of her work day several times, to make her child available for the classes and tests. The dedication clearly reflected on Sasidharan too!

Sasidharan is studying in a Government-aided school. Though the programme syllabus was far more challenging than his regular school lessons, he persevered. Nothing deterred him. Eventually, he rose as a stellar student in the batch. Improving with every single test, he burned the midnight oil to rise to the highest standards. Eventually, he became the benchmark for other students.

He has been enrolled in the Advanced Coaching Programme for more than a year now. The programme has also helped him enhance his performance in school too.

Focused and ambitious – Sasidharan is on a journey to reach great heights. With Bala Mandir by his side, he now knows anything is possible. Why aim for the moon when you can skyrocket to the stars!