HOW YOU HELPED UMESH GROW FROM BUNKING CLASSES TO LOVING EDUCATION
Umesh’s father dropped out of school in his teens and moved to Mumbai to earn money. He found odd jobs to survive in the city. He soon settled in an impoverished slum in north Mumbai, built a makeshift hutment for himself, married Laxmi, a fellow migrant into Mumbai, and the couple had three children in quick succession – Anushka, Anil & Umesh.
When we first met Umesh, he was playing alone in his home, not enrolled in any school although he was of school-going age. We found it difficult to convince his mother Laxmi about the importance of education. She didn’t speak much Hindi or Marathi, and we didn’t speak her native tongue.
It took several sessions of counseling to convince Laxmi about the gamechanger that early childhood education could be for her son Umesh. She finally gave in and enrolled Umesh into our Beacon Learning Centre.
In the classroom, Umesh would always try and weedle his way out of class, and run back home as he loved playing alone there. Our community worker counseled him and his parents. Gradually, Umesh started attending classes regularly.
Umesh loves to listen to stories and enjoys solving Math problems. He knows many rhymes and poems, and is excited about narrating them to others!
Seeing her child blossom in education, Laxmi decided to get involved in Vision Rescue’s activities aimed at empowering her slum community. She signed up to become our Community Champion.
When the lockdown first hit India in March 2020, Umesh’s father, who was the sole breadwinner for the family of five, lost his job as a daily-wage labourer. Their world stood still. A while back, Laxmi had learnt tailoring, and during the lockdown she stepped up to earn some money with her skills.
Our favourite sight? Watching Laxmi volunteer to distribute monthly grocery kits from our community centre in her slum to other families in need in her neighbourhood. From being a sceptic to leading as a changemaker, Laxmi has walked a beautiful journey with Vision Rescue.
During this time, your donations have also reached out to their family with monthly grocery kits and hearty nutritious snacks for the children.
Thank you for your support that enables Umesh to continue his studies online too. May you be blessed for Reaching out with Love to this family and empowering them in numerous ways.
