Second Innings for Social Good

Did you plan your Retirement Goals? Did you put in all the ticks? Hope you did include ' Giving back to the society and nation'... Because they need you. There is a cause which is beckoning you for your contribution and will give purpose to your Second Innings!!

Ravi Karveji, an RSS Swayamsevak, responded to this clarion call when he took it upon himself to shape the careers of students from underprivileged sections! For the past 10 years Raviji, a resident of Thane, Maharashtra, along with his four associates has been helping students from remote pockets of villages as well as slums in city neighborhoods. At the same time, they also strive to imbibe the value of Giving Back to Society in them so that a virtuous cycle sets in.

From 2010 to 2022, a fund of around 10 crores and 95 lacs has been raised under ' Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana' by Raviji and his team. This fund has been utilized to pay the fees for professional courses like engineering, medicine, etc. Moreover, 6 dilapidated schools from Thane and Raigad districts have also been reconstructed. Swayamsevak Raviji and his team have identified intelligent students needing financial support from benevolent well-off families. The motive behind this has been to ensure that just a lack of finance should not clip the wings of these deserving students.

It is not possible to hold back a gem from shining. You wouldn't agree more about Swati Singh, who exemplifies this in person. There was a time once when her home in the slum area of Ghatkopar remained surrounded by water for 3 months. Remarkably none of such adversities could abstain her from accessing her academics. She completed her B.Sc and M.Sc after HSC and secured a job in a Bank with a 19 LPA salary package.

Another such beneficiary of 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana' is Anjali Lokhande. A resident of Solapur, Maharashtra. Anjali is highly inspired by her mother's hard work and determination. Anjali who once used to collect and treasure all her medals and awards in a Bamboo container in her humble house is now a Mechanical Engineer with honors. She had moved to Nagpur now and works for Infocepts Technologies Pvt. Ltd. Anjali has not only pulled her family out of poverty but also has fulfilled her mother’s dream of seeing her succeed in life. All this was made possible as a sensitized rich person signed up to pay her fees through 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana'.

What is the secret behind this transformational leap of these students from under privilege groups to soaring success in career mainstreams? How are these students identified? What is 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana’? You must be wondering about all this! Aren't you?

Swayamsevak Arun Karmarji, who has been working for this initiative since its inception, shares that initially 5 such bright students were identified in 2010 who were compromising on their dreams due to lack of financial means. They just could not afford fees for professional courses like engineering, medicine, etc. This is prevalent in poor as well as lower-middle-class families. Fees for these 5 students were paid by a few donors who came in contact with Raviji during his banking years. There has been no looking back since then. As the scope of this noble work scaled up, Seva Sahyog, a not-for-profit organization supported by RSS, came forward to institutionalize this initiative. 

Today 80+ volunteers toil very hard to identify students who have secured marks above 90% in their 10th standard, but whose families are not in a financial condition to support their higher education. After effecting a thorough inquiry into the financial situation of their families, fees inclusive of college, hostel, training, and other academic expenses are made available every year during the 4-year course span. It is worth mentioning that the amount contributed by the 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana' is equivalent to the difference between the amount required and the amount saved and earmarked by the parents of the student.  Kishor Mogheji, one of the directors of Seva Sahyog, expresses that 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana' has not only shaped the future of thousands of students through donations contributed by well-wishers but also has laid the cornerstone for a more sensitized society as these students support the education of other underprivileged students in future. Sachin Suryawanshi, a scientist by profession, epitomizes this sentiment. Sachin is a well-renowned professional in the field of pharmacy. Once a beneficiary of 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana', Sachin supported the education of 2 students by availing a bank loan and later paid it off from his salary. As Sachin has illustrated, the inculcation of the value of Giving Back to Society is integral to 'Vidyarthi Vikas Yojana'. Hence the name of the donors are never revealed to these students. They only understand that this society had supported them when they needed it the most, and they need to do the same for others.

A person's pursuit of purpose can't be restrained by age. In the first innings, a person needs to take care of his/her kin. But in his/her second innings he/she can afford to extend this horizon and contribute to society which supports us all in ways unknown. This amount of 10 crores has nurtured the lives of around 2500 students. This underscores that a person is more seasoned and capable in his second innings to contribute to society and the nation. Ravindra Karve, Arunji Karmakar, Sharadji Gangal, Raju Hembarde, and Abhijit Phadnawis just showed us the same by initiating a golden chapter in so many young lives; this is the future of Bharat!