12 students graduating with 90% plus marks, from 8th std of a municipal school in Surat, need funds to continue their education in a state board school. We, at Pathshala, are helping them to achieve their dream. From past 8 years, we have worked with them through activity based education and polished them to this level. Now, they need your help to go further on this journey to educate themselves. The fees need to be paid in this month.

This is what their experience has been with us-

“I can still hear those claps. The applause and whistles of audience present at my last year’s annual function still echo at the back of my mind. That loud noise- It’s all a melody for me. For it was the first time I spoke in public, it was the first time when I spoke to public. Out of nowhere, I got an opportunity to take the stage and direct the program as a “compere”. Later that day, everyone greeted and congratulated me in person,It helped me evolve as a person. I’m grateful to Paathshala folks for organizing an Annual Function in our school and for giving me this ‘never-thought-of’ opportunity. I am no more scared to speak in public, for I can still hear those claps. The applause and whistles of audience present at my last year’s annual function still echo at the back of my mind”
-Parmar Anand


“Isn’t that weird how sometimes we resonate and relate ourselves to protagonist of a movie?
Honestly, I don’t watch a lot of movies. Infact, I can’t even afford to watch a lot of movies.
But, I do know that movies make a great impact in our lives. Last month “Paathshala” fraternity took us for the movie,”Nil Battey Sannata”. I finally stepped into a theatre after a year.
I was not the same person when I stepped out of the theatre. My father’s a wireman by work.
But,I aspire to become an accountant. (What’s so surprising,eh?) I never had the courage to say this before I watched this movie. But, now I have. As I told you before, ”movies do make a great impact in our lives and especially the ones that are relatable”.
- Abhay Singh


“New school, new life, new beginnings. Some things or people in our lives affect us in ways that it changes forever. Alvina Didi is that “some people” in my life. She volunteers with Pathshala. She encouraged me to stand up for school elections and to my surprise I won. It’s honoring when someone believes in you whilst you don’t. After becoming a prefect of discipline, there was no looking back. It instilled in me a new confidence. I got promoted into a new school. It’s funny, how a lesson as small as trimming nails every week and keeping my room spick and span taught by my mother lead me to my turning point. Butterfly effect is not just a theory, after all. This is my current story. And I believe the best of it is yet to come.”
-Ajay Deshmukh

“Little did I know how unrealistically music made people dance in movies could happen to me. Every time the song “Maanjha” plays, I just can’t resist my feet from tapping. It was early  this year, when one fine day the Paathshala folks roped in a dance teacher for us. We were a group of 12, who enjoyed shaking our bellies and tapping our feet during those bestowed dancing sessions. We were having a good time until it was palled by nervousness and surprise when we were asked to dance at an event in another school. We danced to everyone’s claps, whistles and breath of excitement. What next? Every time the song “Maanjha” plays, I just can’t resist my feet from tapping.”
-Rahul

“My name is Rohit and I want to be a doctor. I wasn’t born with the luxury to know about all the career fields that have emerged now or to pay to a career counsellor. Paathshala, however, gifted me with this luxury. Some 3 months ago, the fraternity conducted a career-oriented seminar in our school. It was my pleasure to be counseled and directed by the visiting counsellor.I felt getting nearer to my distant dream of becoming a doctor. Ever since then, I’ve been adhering to my textbooks,day in and day out. It was like figuring my way out to the destination.”
-Rohit

“Lights! Stage! Claps! An applaud that felt like a year. Paathshala gave me my big break to dance on a stage. I’ve always liked to dance. Being a closet dancer is one thing, to dance on stage and be appreciated for it kind of makes you realize you’re good at it and should do it more often. When I saw my performance on TV, I knew I could dance. The confidence that one annual function performance gave me was my metamorphosis. I no longer dwell on whether I’m a good enough dancer or not. I’ve learnt that sometimes you just have to believe in yourself.”
-Prakash

“Live in the moment, they say. Do it and it might just work for you as it did for me. I listen attentively to classes and do well during exams. That’s my strategy. One other class that I listened attentively to is Sohil sir’s during summer camp. He inspired me that everything is achievable, there’s nothing that mankind can’t make possible.” An idea, a thought, a question have been enough in the history to have inspired great revolutionaries. One of the largest IT companies of India was the result of attention during a seminar, for example.
-Yash


“Did you know scientists look just like us? Last Paathshala summer camp, a scientist visited us. All my imageries of scientists, astronauts and the like broke when I found out they’re just like us. He taught us quite a few projects and concepts. Gravity isn’t an alien word anymore. I used a telescope, yay!Only science can make you wonder how interesting the world around us is. I didn’t know I would like science and my highest score would be in science. I now know that I want to be a scientist. Did you know scientists look like us?”
-Sawan


“I love those winter mornings when we brisk and pant on our school playground. What fun is life
without sports and games? I jest on those who come to school with the mere motive of studying in one corner, for I have learnt that school has got a broader dimension to learning. A constructive inculcation resumes on the playground and in a co-curricular class, as well. Games! It ignites us with the very essential ’bling’ and ’spark’ of youth (which seems lost now a days). Being active in backyard helps me perform better in class. For then i consider, my academics and books as one another crucial game which I play resolutely yet effortlessly.”
-Akash



One of our many success stories-

"My name is Deepak Chaudhary and I belong to the village named Umarvav dur in the Tapi Zilla. My village is far away from the city. We suffer many problems as far as food and water are concerned, so education was never given that much importance. Above all my family’s economic condition was not good which forced me to take up farming or join as a daily wage laborer in the city. I had finished my schooling from the municipal school and passed my college with second class.  My urge to study was so much that I appeared for the journalist course entrance and cleared but couldn’t afford it. That was my aim, to be a journalist and express my feelings openly. Pathshala helped me get into Mass Media College in Surat. I came first in South Gujarat University in Journalism course. I was selected in the four able students for the fellowship provided by the Charkha newspaper. I felt proud of myself to have made it to the top 4 people
from Gujarat who got the fellowship.
I did my internship in Dhandhuka Taluk, Panchi Village where there was
a journal for adivas children. After that I worked for 6months in Songarh in
collaboration with Shakti for Adivas Children. Today, I run a community radio in my village and I sponsor education of kids."