To celebrate our more than 40 years of service, we are sharing 40 of our beneficiaries’ powerful stories with you — stories of hope, compassion, and determination. We hope these stories inspire you as much as they inspire us.
Tejal is a determined woman living in the Kada Village in Gujarat. She graduated from college with many ambitions, but marriage and children prevented her from finding full-time employment. The pandemic only exacerbated these hardships. Read more
Upasi Devi, currently living in the Singhpur village of Uttar Pradesh, wanted to attend school when she was younger. However, due to family circumstances, she was unable to and was married at 12 years old to Akhileshwar Mahto. She worked with Akhileshwar in agriculture, but after they had four children, their financial situation became strained. Read more
Mercy Kom, 58, resides in Kharam Thadoi, a remote village in Manipur. She suffered from diabetes and hypertension, and due to the lack of healthcare infrastructure in her village, she had received no treatment for these issues. Read more
Born in the remote Walke village of Maharashtra, Sarvesh Janardan Mhatre saw many of his peers drop out of school, face addiction, and struggle to earn a living wage. Read more
When Kailash Gajjar lost her husband to a heart attack, she wondered how she would take care of her family on her own: “I was worried as to how I was to live my life with two kids.” Read more
Sakhiya Yagnik Pravinbhai, from Surat, was able to pursue a degree in Technology using Educate 2 Graduate scholarship funds administered through Higher Education Support Trust. Read more
When Jayshree Manojbhai Lalkiya went in for her regular mammogram at the Rajkot Cancer Society, supported by Share & Care, she had no symptoms or indications that anything was wrong and was unaware of any family history of cancer. Read more
Patel Kuldeep Jashubhai, from Mehsana, finished his secondary course of study with high grades, and through Educate 2 Graduate funding administered through the Higher Education Support Trust (HEST), he was able to successfully complete his education in Information and Communication Technology. Read more
As a child, Varsha Baraiya loved music, painting, henna art, and cooking. She was a fantastic student, and she loved helping her siblings study and succeed in school, too. She aspired to become a doctor, and her hard work in school paid off, earning her a place in the K.J. Mehta General Hospital and College of Medical Sciences in Gujarat. Read more
When Mrudula’s father passed away, her mother struggled financially and began looking for assistance to keep the family afloat. Mrudula was an excellent student, earning great results on her 12th grade exams. Read more
As one of three children from a poor family in the Walke village in Maharashtra, Sunny Rajendra Sawant had few educational options. His father is a daily wage earner and his income could not support Sunny in his goal to attend college. Read more