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Needy High School students can now bank on Shiksha Sarothi.
Shiksha Sarothi, formed in October 2015 and comprising doctors, engineers, professors, schoolteachers and principals from across the state, has launched an initiative under which students will get a ₹1,000 stipend till the completion of higher-secondary exams.
Whenever students find it hard to cope with the difficulty levels in classroom, they resort to coaching and further assistance. But what does a student with limited resources do? Anindita Deka is one such student who although scored 86% in her HSLC exams, found it hard to keep up during her first year of higher secondary. As her father’s income was not stable Anindita, a science student, couldn't afford the expensive coaching needed to assist her.
Now there is a ray of hope for Anindita and other meritorious students from weaker financial backgrounds in Assam. Shiksha Sarothi, a group formed in October 2015 and comprising doctors, engineers, professors, schoolteachers and principals from across the state, has come forward to lend them a helping hand.
Last week Saturday saw the launch of an initiative by Shiksha Sarothi which will provide needy higher-secondary students with a monthly stipend of ₹1,000, besides textbooks and reference books. The monthly stipend to the student will continue till the completion of higher-secondary exams.
"Every month, we will provide the students with funds. Today, we gave cheques to 7 students. Later, we will deposit the money in their bank accounts," said Mohan Chandra Kalita, doctor and president of Shiksha Sarothi.
The organisation is flexible and decentralised allowing individual group members, scattered across the state, to choose the students they think will benefit most. So far assistance has been provided to children hailing from families of wage earners, carpenters and fourth-grade employees, and also from families that have incurred heavy financial losses.
"It was difficult for me to continue with my studies. The first year of HS required coaching which I couldn't afford. My family is going through hard times. Even sustaining our daily expenses is difficult. Shiksha Sarothi's help has come as a relief," said Anindita.
Shikhsa Sarothi is planning to go beyond just providing financial assistance. Plans to open a book bank, a counselling centre, offer advocacy on education policy and offer scholarships are on the anvil.
"Our endeavour actually began in October last year when we helped four needy students. Now, we are able to help more students," said Nripendra Sarma, an engineer with the public health engineering department who is also the secretary of Shiksha Sarothi.
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