Marginalised students carving a niche in the society, thanks to LPF guidance

All of them have chosen different programs of Lotus Petal Foundation. Our alumni are our pride. We have a special bond with all of them and share an encouraging journey that we have travelled together. They are the living examples of the organization’s achievements and the values we stand for – ‘Change lives, one child at a time: LPF spokesperson

In the face of adversity, marginalisaed students are emerging as catalysts for positive change within their community. Through tireless efforts and a commitment to inclusivity, they are reshaping narratives, bridging divides, and championing causes that uplift the underprivileged.

Led by a resilient spirit and an unwavering determination, these students, hailing from diverse cultural backgrounds, came together to create a platform for change.

Despite personal struggles and systemic hurdles, these students became beacons of hope, channelling their own experiences into empathy-driven actions.

Shilpi Jaiswal: Coming from a lower-middle-class family where her father is a driver and her mother a homemaker, Shilpi grew up with five siblings in a household run by her father, the sole bread-earner. She completed her class 12th and was looking for courses that could give an edge to her career. She joined the Jeevika Skill Development Program when her elder sister’s friend informed her about the program focused on BFSI, which was an ESSAI-certified course and the fact that the program offered a 100% job guarantee intrigued her interest. Currently, Shilpi is excelling in her first job as a donor servicing trainee at the Lotus Petal Foundation (LPF), with her ace MS Excel skills, while also pursuing her graduation in B.Com (Hons) from Delhi University.

Saloni Raj: Saloni’s childhood was not the usual one. Coming from a broken family, her mother, a house-help, had to run away from the house with her children to save them from her abusive husband. After a life of struggles on the streets, Saloni joined the Lotus Petal Foundation when she was 14 years old in 2013. With low learning levels, her relationship with education even at that age was similar to a younger child. However, by 2014, with a customized curriculum catering to her fractured learning, Saloni’s journey to quality education started picking up. Her results improved quite significantly by 2018. In the very next year, aged 20 years, she cleared the National Medical Entrance Examination (NEET) paving her way to pursue medical studies. Currently, she is in the last year of her course and will soonbecome a doctor.

GudiyaKumari: With her father running a small food stall and her mother being a tailor, Gudiya grew up in a difficult household. Growing up with five siblings, she knew from an early age that she would have to work harder to realise her dream of becoming an air hostess. However, life and its challenges had other plans. Gudiya joined as a first-year student of the Pratishthan Learning Center- A unique Fast-Track Education Program through which out-of-school teenagers with fractured learning can complete their education in a five-yearlearning program. She also underwent vocational hospitality training, giving her well-rounded training, enabling her to ace job interviews. She landed up with her first job as executive (software testing) at Unify Dots.

Hritik Sethi: Hailing from a middle-class family, the son of a tailor and a homemaker, he wanted to pursue a course after high school that would give him an edge which is why he enrolled himself in the computer hardware and networking course under the Jeevika Skill Development Program. After rigorous training and exposure to industrial training, he was able to grasp the fundamental concepts that bolstered his confidence levels. Today he is successfully working at his new job while pursuing his graduation from IGNOU. Hritik bagged the highest annual package from among all Jeevika graduates.

Rahul Saini: Rahul Saini is working as a technical engineer with MegaMax. He is an alumnus of the Computer Hardware and Networking course under the same program. He lost his father at an early age and was supported by his mother. Before joining, he had already completed his polytechnic course however, when he got to know about the Jeevika Program’s affordable industry-mapped courses. Today, he is well-placed in his new job where he is learning the ropes of the professional world while impressing everyone with his computer skills. All of them have chosen different programs of Lotus Petal Foundation. Our alumni are our pride. We have a special bond with all of them and share an encouraging journey that we have travelled together. They are the living example of the organization’s achievements and the values we stand for – ‘Change lives, one child at atime’.

The stories of our students reflect the impact of our interventions. Their stories of change inspire us to work tirelessly towards our goals and encourage us to be focused and stay true to our efforts.

(The writer is the founder and managing trustee of Lotus Petal Foundation)