Sonam has dared to dream, can you help her actualize them

She is intelligent, smart and aspires to be a Chartered Accountant when she grows up. And despite the pitiable financial state of her family, she dares to dream tall.

Meet Sonam, the 15 year old daughter of Ram Kishore and Saroj, who earn their living ironing others clothing. They live in the slums at Dabri Sitapur Road and despite a meager family income of about Rs. 2,500 a month, have been providing education to all three of their children. While the eldest daughter is doing her graduation, Sonam and her brother are still in school.
 
Sonam has scored 83.4 per cent in her Class X CBSE exam and has enrolled in Class XI Commerce stream of Sarvodaya Vidayalaya, Hari Nagar. She was a regular at Smile Foundation’s Ina Raja Memorial Educational Trust (IRMET) centre in West Delhi where she was imparted remedial education. But unfortunately, IRMET does not have the provision to impart coaching classes to students after Class X.

Sonam now needs a helping hand to make her swim through the tides.  “She has the potential to do much more. But she will have to attend coaching classes, which rarely comes for free. I wish if someone comes forward to help her,” says Dr. Raja Ram, the man behind the formation of IRMET.  

Sonam is focused and is ready to meet all challenges in life, but she needs a congenial atmosphere to grow. Her parents and teachers are hopeful that someone will come forward to make her dreams come true.

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He has the will, let’s show him the way

Forget English, even Hindi alphabets were Greek to him till a few years back. Today, only six years later, Bhola is all set to appear the CBSE Class XII exam as a regular student from a government school in the capital.

Bhola migrated from Bihar to Delhi at a very young age to work as a domestic help. Being the only earning member of his family, his desire to go to school was a distant possibility till he discovered the Ina Raja Educational Trust (IRET) in West Delhi, in 2003. Smile Foundation has tied up with IRET for providing basic education to underprivileged children under the Mission Education programme.

When Bhola joined IRET, the Mission Education programme centre at the age of 15, he was completely illiterate, but the teachers there discovered a lot of potential in him. They supported him die-hard and within four years he completed Class X from the National Open School. Bhola is now in Class XII.

He then wanted to join a regular school but getting admission in a regular school was not easy. His desire to join a formal school along with earning a livelihood was achieved after much doggedness.

Bhola is still working as a domestic help and hardly has anytime for studies, but he is determined to excel. He now aspires to study at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Bhola’s day starts at  6 in the morning. He completes the household chores by noon and then leaves for school. Immediately after coming back home in the evening, he gets busy preparing the dinner. Bhola burns the midnight oil and still does have enough time to study.

IRMET gives Bhola a scholarship of Rs. 500 every month, which Bhola sends home to his mother. Another Rs. 200 which he earns apart from the food and lodging provided to him by his employee, goes for books and other study materials.

Bhola has the potential, the determination and the guts to rise high in life, but he lacks time to persevere. He is busy earning a livelihood for himself and his mother. But his teachers are hopeful that someone will come forward to support Bhola’s education for at least a year, till he completes his Class XII exam?