New Delhi: When Nithi, Navya Nandini and Shaurya returned to school after summer vacation, they were all smiles. The fear of being thrown out of school or being mocked by their classmates for not paying the fee had receded.
The four kids from an Agra family, who couldn't continue going to school due to economic difficulties, were helped by close to 150 school in Kerala. James Mathew, the MLA from Taliparamba constituency, played an instrumental role and organised fund collections drives.
Aarti Sharma, their mother, clicks a photograph on her phones as the kids step out of their rented house in Agra's Rohta. She says she doesn't have anything to give in return to those who helped resuscitate her kids' dream, save for the smile. Aarti assures that "I will use the money for my children, and they will fulfil all their dreams." "With the money, I received from Kerala kids I have paid a year's fee in advance," she adds.
The students came to the help of Aarti Sharma's family after News18 Kerala reported on her Facebook video, in which she appealed to people to help her children.
She put up the appeal on social media because her husband's business had taken a hit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive. As debts piled high, Aarti could not pay the school fees of her three daughters and a son who was studying in a CBSE school. Aarti even offered to sell her kidneys to help her kids attend school
Nithi Bharadwaj, the eldest daughter, who aspires to be a doctor one day, says teachers and students were not aware of her family's financial distress, and "it saddened them when they learned of our difficulties from TV and Newspaper reports". "But teachers are also helpless. They can't allow us to continue without our fee," says Nidhi, wanting to meet the Kerala children who came to her family's help. "We may not go to Kerala immediately, but we want to meet those kids."
Children and their parents in Taliparamba were happy to learn that Aarti Sharma's kids were back to school, Raveendran, a teacher in a Taliparamba school tells News18. "We are all proud that we could help them overcome this crisis. We await their visit. We are ready to extend more help," he said, adding that they were still in touch with the family.
MLA James Mathew, who led the fund collection campaign, has already contacted the family several times and asked them to contact him for any help.
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