SARVAM gave away a scholarship of three lakh rupees for vulnerable students for their higher studies to 31 students in phase I.
In the first phase, 30+ students received the scholarships. Children of widows, needy, and single parents were primarily selected for the scholarships.
Sri Aurobindo Rural & Village Action & Movement (SARVAM), a Sri Aurobindo Society initiative, is on a mission to create a village community model that is empowered and developed in all spheres of human existence. SARVAM began its societal development programmes in seven villages in Tamil Nadu's Villupuram district in 2005, catering to the needs of 7,000 people. Now, it extends its work to 40 villages covering 75,000+ people.
Most villages are impoverished, and almost the entire adult population is illiterate or semi-literate. Most households need more money to educate their children and rely on free government schools. Unfortunately, government education budgets are focused on primary education, leaving secondary and higher education severely underfunded and teaching standards at those levels extremely low.
In most cases, female students are the first to be expelled from school and barred from furthering their education. Despite their desire to continue their studies, these children take up menial jobs or even marry off at a young age, despite scoring high in public examinations, to financially support their parents. Many students' aspirations and ambitions are crushed as a result of this ignorance, lack of opportunity, and resources and many bright students are psychologically affected by the fact that they cannot continue their education.
Another upsetting fact is that some parents borrowed money from private moneylenders at exorbitant interest rates for their children's higher education. When their parents ask their children to stop studying after one or two years, most of them experience extreme depression and stress. Some start using drugs and alcohol to cope with their despair or even commit crimes.
Scholarships for Rural Students
To address this situation and encourage students to pursue secondary and higher education, SARVAM sponsors deserving students every year. Over the years, many students have benefited from this scheme and have continued their education without interruption.
Most of the students were capable and hardworking. Still, they were forced to discontinue their education due to financial reasons. Still, many of them are pursuing their higher education in schools and colleges with scholarship money.
In the first phase, 30+ students received the scholarships. Children of widows, needy, and single parents are primarily selected for scholarships, as they are the first to drop out of school due to financial and social circumstances. Students with 80% or higher grades were also chosen for the scholarship.
As more students benefit from these opportunities, it encourages other students in the villages to continue their education. To date, the students who have benefited from this scheme have demonstrated great responsibility in achieving very high scores in their chosen higher education. They are a beacon of hope for their villages, as well as an example for rural populations throughout India.
The second batch of students is also getting ready to receive the scholarship amount.
