: 7 Friends Help 2000+ Village Kids Chase Their Dreams in IIT, IISc More #IndiaNEWS #Education Studying in India’s premier institute, IIT-Kanpur still feels like a dream to Umashankar Mondal, a resident

7 Friends Help 2000+ Village Kids Chase Their Dreams in IIT, IISc More #IndiaNEWS #Education
Studying in India’s premier institute, IIT-Kanpur still feels like a dream to Umashankar Mondal, a resident of West Bengal’s Tantipara village. Growing up in a weaver’s family, education was never a priority, and he was predestined to join his family.
But he was different, not just from his family but also from other children in the village. Going to school and scoring distinction was his gateway to success.
All he needed was a platform and professional career guidance, which he found in Sayambharataa Rural Skill Development Foundation (SRSDF).
“I was in Class 9 when Gargi (Dey) ma’am, an IIT professor, introduced me to the institute that taught our nation’s brightest minds. I wanted to be a part of that. With her guidance, support and academic teachings, I completed my chemistry honours from Jadavpur University. The foundation believed in me and funded my education. This guidance continued when I gave entrance for MSc for IIT and I cracked it in 2020,??? Umashankar tells The Better India.
Umashankar’s journey has inspired several children in the village while giving hope to parents who cannot afford education. His own younger brother has joined the foundation to follow a similar path.
“I would’ve never got out of my village had it not been for the SRSDF. They changed my life and showed me our circumstances can be changed with proper support,??? adds the IITian.
Umashankar is one of the many children from the village whose life has changed for the better by the foundation, which was started by a couple of friends in 2014.
Not a Charity

Subrata Bose co-founded SRSDF with his friends Sharbari Bhattacharya, Debjani Mitra andPradyut Bhattacharya. Sandip Ghosh, Sushmita Bose and Kalpana Dutta joined in as active members.
The software engineer from Kolkata, had been a couple of years into philanthropic work when he visited Tantipara village as part of a social welfare project.
Here, he met Madhusudan Ghosh, a daily wager who asked Subrata to donate some money for his son, Bapan. The desperate father even showed his topper son’s report card.
But Subrata came up with an idea of establishing a system where children from marginal families would be guided by experts and supported financially with the condition that they would repay society. This could either be by paying back the money, sponsoring a destitute child or offering teaching services to the juniors.
Presently, 15 students are being funded by ex-students.

“Charity may not always be helpful and not everyone realises its value. We gave some money to Madhusudan and realised there must be several children willing to go to school.