From illiteracy to ambition, see the journey that your gifts have taken Janvhi on…
Eight years ago, much before little Janvhi was born, her father Ritesh left their village in the state of Madhya Pradesh and moved to Mumbai. He had only studied upto Class X, but he was skilled as an electrician. New to the megapolis, and with no one to help him, Janvhi’s father built a life in this unfamiliar city, finding daily-wage jobs to meet his needs.
After six years of labour, in 2019, Ritesh finally migrated his family into Mumbai too. His own father found work as a watchman (security guard) and his wife worked as a homemaker in their one-roomed house in a slum community in Mumbai’s poorest area: M-East Ward. They soon had two little children Janvhi and Ruchi.
The family of five survived on the incomes of Ritesh and his father. While this was enough to sustain them, it wasn’t enough to educate the children.
Illiterate and with no hope for education, the girls spent their days playing at home, while their peers attended the neighbouring municipal schools. It was only when Vision Rescue’s community worker found them, and enrolled them into our Beacon Learning Centre, that the girls entered a classroom for the first time in their lives.
So used to playing at home all day, little Janvhi tried every trick in her book to escape class and head home! With time and counselling, her attitude changed, and she grew to love education. Her teachers say that she’s a clever and obedient child. Your gifts have reached out to Janvhi not only with education but also a hearty nutritious meal every weekday, health assessments and dental checkups.
Janvhi performed well in her exams too. Seeing her daughter’s growth, Janvhi ‘s mother joined our focus group meetings and went on to become our Community Champion.
The family was progressing well until the first lockdown happened in March 2020. Both Janvhi’s father and grandfather lost their jobs. Janvhi was upset as she couldn’t come to our classes anymore. The children could no longer even access their mid-day meal. They were worried about surviving the pandemic.
Thank you for supporting Janvhi and her family in their most difficult times. As India undergoes the second-wave of the pandemic, little Janvhi hasn’t given up on her dreams. Against all the odds of poverty and income inequality, this precious little girl dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up. Thank you for nurturing her dreams!
