UK Trust Sponsors Education of Six Girls, One Boy

UK-based SEVA (Social Education Voluntary Association) Trust, being run by NRIs, has decided to sponsor education of six girls and a boy of Barundi village.

The Bedford trust, with the help of three other UK-based organisations, will provide educational support to a Class X student of Government Senior Secondary School, Tohra, who allegedly faced caste discrimination at the hands of the staff. Following the incident, the administration had changed the entire school staff.

The trust will give financial support for students’ schooling and higher education. Under the next project, it will rope in professors of universities and IITs to give online lectures.

On Wednesday, a function was organized in Barundi, around 32 km from Ludhiana, where chairman of SEVA Trust Charan Kanwal Singh Sekhon distributed scholarships of Rs 1.25 lakh among the selected school and college students, besides Rs 71,000 was given to Tohra school student for higher education.

Sekhon said their trust ensured that selected students came from different castes, and their economic background and academic performance were considered.

Students, Gaurav Sharma (BCom-III), Shanti Devi (BSc-II), Harpreet Kaur (Class XII), Kirandeep Kaur (BSc-I), Amneet Kaur (BSc-I) and Bhawanjot Kaur (BSc-I) have been selected from the village. They have been given Rs 20,000 each under the scholarship.

The trust awarded special cash prizes to the classes I to XII students of government primary and senior secondary schools of the village who took first three positions in 2016-17 academic year.

Sekhon, who hails from the village, said, “I have studied in the government school here and therefore, know that rural youth have a lot of talent, but less resources. Our trust is already working for education and awareness of Asian students in the UK. Under our next project, we have decided to adopt students of my village. In India we need to support education of students irrespective of their castes. Their economic background and merit should be the basis of aid.”

The trust will also sponsor the higher education of Tohra school student. Sekhon said besides SEVA Trust, Sri Guru Ravidass Sabha, Bhagwan Valmiki Sabha and Dr Ambedkar Mission, all based in Bedford, have adopted the girl.

My labourer father finds it difficult to pay my fees of Rs 10,000. Last year, a friend had come to my aid. I am extremely happy to have been selected for this scholarship, as now my family and I will not have to worry about my education.

Source: Times of India