Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and can make a new ending”: Maria Robinson

Just like quilling is an art of creating decorative designs using colourful strips of paper, we at CEHRO-INDIA nurture the hidden talent of the kids from low-income family background.

This is the story of a girl, Devika Adhikari, belonging to Munirka village of Delhi. She cleared the highly competitive Vidyagyan examination and got a fellowship for further studies. Vidyagyan is a talent search programme from Shiv Nadar foundation which selects 200 underprivileged students every year from all over India and sponsors their education class VI onwards. The students from Vidyagyan went on to do further studies in prestigious USA universities.

Devika is a simple family oriented girl who wants to serve needy patients after becoming a doctor. Her father is a cook in a Govt. office and a part-time office boy in the same office. Her mother also used to support the family by cooking until the birth of his younger brother. She stays with her family at a DDA servant quarter in Munirka village and completed her Class fourth and fifth from Nigam Pratibha Vidyalaya, a Govt. School in Munirka village. Her father has studied till eighth class and mother has done matriculation. Since her parents were not well-educated, the guidance and motivation to study were lacking from the family.

She joined CEHRO INDIA after completing her class III on the recommendation by TEACH INDIA fellows who used to teach her till class III. She was with us for three years during her studies from class fourth to sixth. Since her family environment was not well-motivated, she did not have the good exposure to the opportunities and lacked self-confidence. Also, she was not able to fully enjoy her studies before because of which she could have easily diverted in other activities because of change in the environment and lack of guidance. After Joining CEHRO INDIA, she began to see the bigger picture of the world. She said to Mr. Surjeet Singh, Founder of CEHRO INDIA, “Bhaiya, I used to think the world is Munirka village only, but after joining here, I got to know the real world is outside this village”.She was good at studies but very shy otherwise. At CEHRO INDIA, she got interested in various activities and took active participation in extracurricular activities. In her own words, “I used to feel very shy previously but Pramod Bhaiya (dance monitor at CEHRO) has motivated me very much that it has increased my confidence immensely to the point that now I can do dance, drama, and theatre along with my studies”. She says her concepts in mathematics became clear after studying from Surjeet Bhaiya at CEHRO INDIA which helped her to crack the Vidyagyan examination

Devika has put the first step forward towards her dream, to become a doctor, by getting a well-reputed fellowship and support. We are sure she will fulfill all her dreams with her strong will and determination. We, the team of CEHRO INDIA, wish her all the success for her future endeavors.