The Benchmark

by Unknown 1:27 AM 0 comments

Article published in the annual college magazine of MIT Mysore
By Ayesha Iftiqhar

Every once in a while we come across incidences and stories that inspire us, touch our souls and helps us to regain our faith in humanity. Here I share with you all one such story that has happened in our very own college.

Nelson Mandela once said that- “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. Few of our friends took this message a little more seriously than the rest and started working towards empowering the poor kids around them with education by starting a NGO called “SPOORTHI”.

The NGO SPOORTHI was founded by Santhosh S.V aka Veer Santhosh on 20^th May 2012 along with his friends Anvitha Anand, Akash Honnappa, Anusha Patil and Ayesha Iftiqhar. It had been a dream of his since 9 years to work towards preventing girl kids from dropping out of school as the literacy rate of women in India is very poor which became the central purpose of the organisation. It was also focused on sharing the knowledge they possessed with the students of government schools. The present team members of the organisation include Vijay K, Lavanya Kashyap, Sahana K, Tejashwini Anith, Aleem, Saujanya P, Saujanya KR and Shree Hari R.

They started their work by conducting the event ‘one book one dream’  in which each student of MIT was requested to donate a notebook during mahadasara 2012 and the collected notebooks were donated to children in need and to orphanages. They later became associated with the Pratham organisation in Mysore by supporting their ‘sponsor a child for one year’ plan. On the occasion of 150^th birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda they successfully conducted an essay writing competition with the theme of ‘India of my dreams (Nanna Kanasina Bhaaratha)’ at a government high school in Vontikoppal, Mysore. Their latest event was termed ‘Computer, Alphabets and Stories’ where the basics of computers and English language were taught to the government school children of Tilaknagar, Mysore.

Their future prospects include assisting two financially backward students to pursue their higher education after 10^th std; career guidance to the students of 10^th and PU studying in government school & colleges; spreading socio-environmental awareness in government school children; starting a school that is entirely funded by public which is a by the public, for the public, of the public school and sponsoring at least two girl school drop outs to continue their education.

You plant a seed and you fill a barren space with fruits and flowers, you smile at someone and you fill a troubled heart with a moment of joy, you light a candle and you fill light in a place of darkness and similarly when you share knowledge you kindle a fire in a person’s mind which will pass on to another and that in turn to another until who knows in what far place it’s warmth is felt. 

This is what the members of SPOORTHI have been selflessly doing by spreading knowledge to young and eager minds. I am privileged to share with everyone the wonderful work my friends have been doing and to support it and I am certain that everyone in MIT is as proud as I am. Keep up the good work guys, our love and support is always with you all.