SANTOSHI’S STORY

We all have seen kids, who would sit at the back corner of class and will be mostly quiet. Since such kids are not too expressive, they are often underestimated. Santoshi is such a child, and as her name suggests, she is a contended child who don’t feel the need to express herself verbally. However, expression has other forms too and she uses music as the conduit for expressing herself. She has developed a deep interest in classical music and is currently undergoing formal training for the same. When she sings, everyone listens as her singing is full of melody with emotions. She also plays Harmonium and want to get trained in other musical instruments too. She aspires to excel in music and with her talent, we hope her to do really well in music.

Santoshi’s father is a daily wages laborer with meager finances and to support him, her mother also work as a house maid in nearby colonies. She has been with Prayas for last 10-12 years and was inducted in Prayas by her elder sister Reena. When Reena used to come for her weekend or night classes, Santoshi, a toddler then, used to just sit in the very same class, quietly listening to everything. She knew about the daily struggles of her family and realized very early that education is the only way for her to do well in her life, improving her and her family situation.

With the support of Prayas, she cleared the entrance exam of a good quality school in Noida. Prayas also helped her with the transport and other necessities right from the beginning. Currently, she is part of the after-school support program, where she gets all the help to understand any complex topics in her academics. She also gets access to value-added programs such as computer literacy, English literacy etc. One of the very well behaved child, she is well focused on academics and pursuing her passion for music at the same time. Santoshi is one of the brightest star of Prayas and the way she has grown in last 10 years is a proud achievement for every volunteer.