I was in Kerala last week –a place very close to my heart, my home. I was invited to attend an event in a government school. Even after so many years, memories from my childhood are so fresh. When I see girls going to school with a beaming smile on their faces, it gives me an immense sense of hope.
I come from a very humble background. My parents had motivated me to do good in my studies. And it was my interest and their support, I have always taken my studies seriously. So, when I see children, esp. girls, who are inclined towards studies and are curious to know more about this world, it is a positive sign that our society is ready for a big change.
Children are our national assets. Their well-being – be it emotional, physical, and psychological is our responsibility. And that’s exactly why the purpose of empowering children from underserved sections of society becomes the focal point of our all initiatives at SFPI.
Two of our initiatives – Ankur and Vidyadhan have completed more than two decades of serving society by vesting efforts into creating future leaders of our country. By instilling the right set of values, helping children discover their purpose in life and by supporting them as a mentor has given me and the whole team of SFPI a sense of accomplishment.
Empathy is the first and a very important step to build ground zero when a young child starts her/her education journey. Unlike us (as adults), children resonate with the environment very quickly and from there, they pick their first set of life-skills. We, at SFPI ensure that their emotional needs are taken care of while they are in a hostel (Ankur) or studying at The Samhita Academy. The base needs to be strong to sustain an individual throughout his/her life’s journey.
All our initiatives, we have defined the SOPs to ensure that every child has been well-taken care of. The way I still owe my knowledge to my parents – I strongly believe that the right beginnings have the potential for a long-term impact.
It’s been 25 years since we started off with just two kids and now, we have scaled up to students in multiple thousands. My biggest take away from this inspiring journey would be – supporting without participating is a futile effort. Philanthropy cannot sustain if the purpose and participation is not aligned. So, both Shibu and I make conscious efforts to meet students from these initiatives and understand their needs and participate in their journeys.
I aspire to take this journey to many more children of our country and support in my capacity to bring a more qualitative change in society esp. in education sector.
