A Big LEAP Forward!
In YUVASPEAK this time, we bring you the inspiring first-person account of U.S -based school-going Rhea Bijoor’s initiative to ensure technological empowerment of children from schools in Mallapur, Shirali, Karla and Virar mentored by our Beloved Mathadhipati H.H. Swami Sadyojat Shankarashram (December 2021)
My name is Rhea Bijoor and I am a junior in high school. Though I was born and raised in the US, I have always felt a deep connection to our Chitrapur Saraswat community, our Guruparampara and our Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji. Throughout my childhood, my parents have taken me back to India to experience our rich culture and heritage. Education is the foundation of progress.
In July 2019, I had the once- in- a- lifetime opportunity to participate as a student volunteer along with my older brother, Samir Bijoor and my parents, Drs. Nivedita and Santosh Bijoor in a Wellness Medical Camp organized by the Chitrapur Math for the 8th, 9th and 10th grade students of Guruprasad High School in Mallapur, Karnataka, India. This rural high school was inaugurated on the 1st of June, 1968 with a maiden batch of 44 students. Under the management of the Guruprasad Education Society and the Mentorship of Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji, there are now over 200 students and this school has earned a strong reputation with several of its graduates winning awards at State and National level along with many pursuing professions like medicine, engineering and finance. One of the physician volunteers at our camp was a graduate of this school!
I believe this volunteering opportunity touched me in more ways than I realize. I performed health screening examinations on these delightful students but more than that, I got to know several of the female students on a personal level. They shared with me their dreams of becoming a police officer, lawyer or doctor but also mentioned that if they did not continue to get good grades, their parents had plans to marry them off before they finished higher studies. The students told me that in spite of their difficult daily commute to the high school by foot, they yearned to be inside the walls of their school as it gave them hope of a brighter future. They longed for social connection and education made them feel empowered. This is something that most of us take for granted. I had designed and printed a hand hygiene bookmark in the native Kannada language for each of the 200 students during the camp as a reminder of infection prevention through daily safe sanitary measures. Little did I know that it would be a valuable resource during the Covid-19 pandemic! My brother and I organized a donation drive at our local high school and department of health education and environmental control. We raised money and we took suitcases of donated items like stationery, school supplies, sani-wipes, calculators from the US.
After the conclusion of the Wellness Camp at Guruprasad High School, we visited the Srivali High School where we distributed backpacks and school supplies to all the students who had achieved the distinction rank in their annual exams. I spent the day learning about their curriculum and their vocational skills. The students had won many awards in various competitions and all their trophies were proudly displayed. Later, we went to Shirali to seek the blessings of our Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji. Swamiji gave us a lot of time and even taught us different types of pranayam. We are really blessed to have Him as our Guru. My family has raised me with the importance of a strong connection to our spiritual heritage and Chitrapur Saraswat culture. When I was 4 years old, my maternal grandmother also started our Math’s Prarthana class at our place so that we could learn about our Guruparampara and Maths in addition to learning various shloka-s and about Indian festivals. I feel so blessed to be from a community that fosters the importance of education and spirituality in our lives from a very young age.
This experience has made me realize the value of education. Education is the strongest predictor of economic growth. Education is the catalyst that lifts us from the cycle of poverty. It allows us to gain the knowledge and skills to lead a healthier lifestyle and take care of others less privileged than us. I have been thinking a lot about the experiences that have shaped my thinking thus far. More than 1 billion children globally are at risk of falling behind due to school closures aimed at containing the spread of COVID-19. To keep the world’s children learning, countries have been implementing remote education programs. Yet many of the world’s children – particularly those in poorer households – do not have internet access, personal computers, TVs or even radio at home, amplifying the effects of existing learning inequalities. Students lacking access to the technologies needed for home-based learning have limited means to continue their education. As a result, many face the risk of never returning to school, undoing years of progress made in education around the world. With school closures across 188 countries (as of April 2020), many of them are exploring alternative ways to provide continuous education using technologies such as Internet, TV, and radio. However, access to these technologies is limited in many low- and middle-income countries, especially among poor households.
Project LEAP was born in May 2021 with Parama Pujya Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji’s Blessings and Guidance. Our mission is to lead others through education initiatives.
uring the devastating Covid-19 pandemic, these sincere students were unable to maintain continuity of their education due to lack of access to the internet and devices like tablets. I contacted the administrators at our Shri Chitrapur Math schools and after understanding how this negatively impacted the students’ academic progress, I decided to do something about it.
I am raising money for the Chitrapur Heritage Foundation USA Inc which will directly ensure that 100% of the funds donated by us will be used to purchase the tablets and data packs needed by these students.
Please know that your contribution will make a huge impact in the lives of students, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps in ensuring a better life for these students. Thank you for your support. I have included information about Chitrapur Heritage Foundation USA Inc below.
Project LEAP (lead by example, empower through education, advance and advocate for our students and progress purposefully) is an initiative that I started in May 2021 to support the education of students across the globe. I started a fundraiser through the Chitrapur Heritage Foundation, USA which is a non-profit organization. It involves sponsoring a tablet for each student at the Virar School for handicapped children, as well as data packs for the students at the Karla Parijnanashram Vidyalaya. The Virar School for handicapped children was started by HH Parijnanashram Swamiji III and the Karla School was started by HH Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji.
Project LEAP was initiated on the auspicious occasion of HH Parijnanashram III Swamiji's Birthday on June 15th, 2021, after I made a virtual presentation to all the CHF board members who have encouraged me to proceed with Project LEAP. This year is special as it is the 25th year of our beloved HH Sadyojat Shankarashram Swamiji becoming our Mathadipathi, and also the 75th birth anniversary of our Guru Swami, HH Parijnanashram Swamiji III.
As you know, the pandemic has struck all of us and more so the education of our young and beloved children all across the world. In India, schools have closed down, and education has moved virtual, thus ,at times ,making it prohibitive for some of our underprivileged rural children to get a proper education and to afford tablets to access the daily curriculum.
The Virar school for handicapped children and the Karla Parijnanashram Vidyalaya, both our Math schools have the following educational needs-
Virar school needs 60 tablets for their handicapped students.
Karla school needs 500 data packs.
This translates to $7000 for the handicapped students and another $7000 for the 500 students in Karla.
The total amount that needs to be raised for the students of both the schools = $14,000. ( $7,000 for 500 students' data packs at the Karla School for the entire school year, and the remaining $7,000 for the 60 tablets for the handicapped/ disabled children in the Virar School.)
Through the generous donations we have received so far, we have collected almost $5000 out of $14000.
This means we have raised tablets for 38 students out of total 60 students in Virar school and 38 data packs out of total 500 for the Karla school students. We have a long way to go but our Shri Chitrapur Math students are so thankful for all your ongoing support.
For donations from USA, please pay online here- https://www.chfusa.org/donate/
Click 3. COVID Relief (Special Projects), enter the amount you wish to donate and under Remarks, write-PROJECT LEAP.
Thank you!
Donors desirous of contributing may contact the Donor Facilitation Cell at scm.donor.cell@gmail.com for details.
