18 year old Rajshekhar beams at us as he proudly shows off his marksheet, “I have managed to secure 82% in my PUC examinations”, he tells us excitedly. A short distance away from Rajshekhar's house, Manjunath, also 18 years of age, shows off his marksheet as well. He has scored 76% in his PUC exams. Both boys are from schools run by Parikrma Humanity Foundation. And both boys hope to study hotel management. However, they are facing a roadblock that keeps them from fulfilling their dreams – neither of them can afford the fees required to pursue a college education.
Tales of personal hardships:
Parikrma Humanity Foundation was founded in 2003 by Shukla Bose. The organisation's aim is to ensure quality education for underprivileged children in Bengaluru. The organisation has 4 schools, which educate over 1,500 children from 69 slum communities and 4 orphanages in Bengaluru. Parikrma takes up the role of caretaker for these children – it takes care of their education, provides them with three nutritious meals a day, and gives them access to healthcare. The education imparted is in the English language, so that the students have access to better employment opportunities and overall, are more confident with their language and communication skills.
Rajshekhar is a student at Parikrma's Jayanagar centre. He lives with his family, which consists of his parents, and two elder brothers. His brothers, Kiran, and Neelendra, have studied at Parikrma as well. Rajshekhar is the latest member of the family who has completed his school education with the help of Parikrma, a goal he never would have been able to fulfill otherwise. He has been studying here since he was five years of age. His father is a weaver and his mother is a flower seller. Their combined incomes cannot sustain the household expenditures, let alone fund Rajshekhar's dream of pursuing further education.
Manjunath's story reads similarly. A student at Parikrma's Sahakara Nagar centre, Manjunath has just finished his second PUC examinations. His family includes an elder brother, and two younger sisters. Orphaned at a young age, the children were left to take care of themselves and each other. Their difficult situation forced the oldest brother to drop out of college while he pursuing a bachelor's degree, and take the role as the only earning member of his family. Manjunath's grief at seeing his family's condition spurred him to do well in school. His hard work paid off, as he passed his examinations with good scores. The family currently lives in a cousin's house in extremely difficult conditions.
Support their dreams:
Both boys dream big about joining a hotel management course, which would enable a secure career for them. They dream of jobs that would ensure they take care of their families, who have sacrificed so much for them. They are inspired by one such student at Parikrma, who went on to study further and is now an executive chef at Hilton International in Bengaluru. Manjunath and Rajshekhar have been keen on studying hotel management for as long as they can remember. While Manjunath wants to become a chef, Rajshekhar's excellent communication skills and command over the English language has him yearning to obtain a front desk job at a hotel.
Both boys deserve the right to further education; however, extreme financial strains have reduced this to a distant dream. You could change that. Your support will go towards helping both these boys, and help ensure a better future for them and their families.
