Kalyani Pathak, 21, comes from a poor farmer’s family in Jaigaon village, a perennially drought stricken hamlet in the state of Maharashtra in India. Due to the low rainfall, many farmers in the village are stuck in a vicious cycle of debt and her family is one of them.
Among the brightest students in her class, Kalyani has always dreamed of making her family proud by becoming a police officer. However, due to her poor economic background, Kalyani was unable to join the coaching classes for the competitive examination which are held nationwide to recruit civil servants.
“It was very difficult to find a centre that provides coaching to students for written and physical training in remote places such as my area. There was only one coaching center for the examination run by a college in Aundh. However, girls like us could not afford the fees to join,” she said.
While looking for a reasonably priced coaching centre, she came to know about the Mann Deshi Youth Development center in Aundh, Maharashtra.
“I enquired about the courses taught there and I was very happy to know that along with the coaching for the written exam, I could get the opportunity to be trained for the physical exam.
“When I joined the centre, I felt as though new doors of opportunities were opened to me,” she added.
In the beginning, Kalyani struggled to speak out in front of others but her coaches at the centre continuously encouraged her to take part in the public speaking competitions held at the center every week. Although shy at first, Kalyani began to take part in the competitions and slowly built her confidence.
“We remember the Kalyani who used to hide behind others and hesitate to speak up. But she took up the challenge to improve herself, she actively participated in the competition, chose different topics and gave her best. Today, she is a fearless speaker. We are proud to see the transformation in Kalyani,” said one of her coaches at the centre.
RYTHM Foundation funds the Mann Deshi Youth Development Centre to help underprivileged girls like Kalyani pursue their dreams. The funding is used to pay for the cost of physical and theoretical training, clothing/uniform requirements, health checkups, nutrition, as well as educational materials for the participants.
Kalyani who is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Arts from the R.S.B.S. College in Aundh has applied to join the police force.
“I had almost lost hope that I will be able to pursue my dream but now I am very confident that I will become an IPS officer one day with the support of RYTHM Foundation through the Youth Development Center,” she said.
A strong believer that educating a girl child will have ripple effect on the family and community, RYTHM Foundation is proud to partner with Mann Deshi Foundation in India to provide opportunities to Kalyani and other underprivileged girls from rural communities to achieve their dreams and find employment opportunities in various sectors.
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