Covid-19 has been the toughest time for so many people in the world either due to losing someone close to them or to lose something valuable to them, but it has also been a tough year for all the initiatives which were started to empower the less abled and people who needed to be uplifted.

It was in 2010 that Gulab Rajput and his daughter Nishita started a noble initiative to support the education of girl students. In the last 11 years, they have roped in donors who have paid Rs 1,000 each towards the school fees of 3,800 girls.

Like everything else under the Sun, the pandemic has impacted their drive too. The Covid-19 induced lockdown has meant more pleas of help and a steady decline in donations. With the lockdown resulting in job losses and reduced income, parents of many girl students are knocking at the doors of Rajput for help.

“The situation of some families is such that they are hardly making ends meet so obviously it’s the education of kids that suffers the most. Some of the parents who approached us were not able to pay full fees for the last academic year too. The report cards of their wards have been withheld by the schools,” said Gulab, who had made fixed deposits of Rs 5,000 each for 21 girls at Nishita’s wedding last year.

Mukesh Goswami, an auto-rickshaw driver said that since the last one and half years his income has been hit badly. “My daughter has just finished her standard 12 and is awaiting admission in college and my son is in standard 10. If not for financial aid, their education would have been hit,” he said.

Kamlesh Rohit lost his job due to the Covid-19 enforced lockdown last year and later had to settle for a lower-paying job. His wife Rekha said that he is the only earning member of the family and they have one daughter studying in school. “We had to rely on a donated phone and fees to ensure our daughter continues studying,” she said.

Gulab pointed out that the donations have also started going down since the pandemic began. “In 2019 we were able to collect Rs 69 lakh. This went down to Rs 55 lakh last year. This year, we have been able to collect Rs 27 lakh so far and are hopeful of more help,” he added.

The father and daughter collect crossed cheques of Rs 1,000 denomination from donors. If a donor wants to support with a larger amount, multiple Rs 1,000 cheques are taken from him.

These cheques are then directly deposited in the account of the school where the girl studies. A set of documents with the details of the girls whose fees has been paid is also handed over to the donor who gives the cheques.

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