Financial Aid to students

Vidyoday Foundation’s major objective is to financially support economically weaker students. So we started talking to schools’ staff, social workers and economically weaker section people around. A social worker working in the remote areas of Rajkot District came up with requirement of Dhedhuki village girl who had passed standard 10^th with flying colours with the financial help through this social worker but now wanted to study up to standard 12^th and parents did not have financial resources to support her study. We decided to pay her school fees and made sure that she continues with her studies. The same way requirement for financial aid for studies started pouring in from Vadodar, Rajkot etc. and this year we were able to support total 32 students in Gujarat. For the first year of operation of the trust it was a significant contribution of Rs. 1,37,824 for the support of the students who wanted to continue their study and finance was the only constraint hindering them.

Number of students who received financial aid	32
Total  amount paid to the students of various schools in Gujarat	Rs. 1,37,824

 

• Financial help was given to the economically weak students for hostel facility
• Scholarship was given to bright students

 

CHINGARI

Though Vidyoday Foundation’s major objective is to financially support economically weaker students, as we started getting involved with the students and their studies, we realised that some of the students of standard 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd were always lagging behind in their studies and that made them more and more disinterested in the studies. We tried to find out the reason for their lagging behind the class and found out that they were lacking in the very basic skill of learning anything; i.e. reading and writing skills. They might be slow learners and could not keep the pace with the class and were left behind. We thought of giving them extra time and extra coaching.

Vidyoday Foundation can provide financial support for that but who will teach them and where? C. K. Gohil Primary School, Rajkot came forward to start extra classes for these students. Now the question was who will teach them? The Trustees of Vidyoday Foundation and School teachers thought that there is a concept of financially supporting one’s self while studying in the university in foreign countries. So they thought of doing the same thing with school students. So it was decided that Vidyoday Foundation would give some honorarium to the elder school students who would teach these younger students and the objective was to make the younger students read, write and do some basic calculations. After talking to some elder students of standard 10^th and 11^th they happily agreed to coach these younger students; who had difficulty reading and writing; as they would get some financial support for their own study and that would reduce some financial burden of their parents.

Vidyoday Foundation named this project aptly, CHINGARI, meaning a spark which can lead to light; light of knowledge; for both, those who teach and for those who learn to read and write. Thus the journey began. The classes took place every Sunday from 10 A.M. to 12 Noon. Then even Standard 8^th and standard 9^th students also joined as teachers. The process was very interesting as the teachers were also students and were near to the age group of the young learners so they could establish a good rapport with the younger students and could make them take interest in learning very fast. They even started trying out various methods of teaching and made learning more of fun.

CHINGARI is the ongoing project of Vidyoday Foundation. This is just the beginning….not the end.