At 12, Varsha has to fend for herself

About two years ago, Varsha’s father abandoned his family following a domestic dispute. Last year, Varsha’s mother also decided to move in with her relatives, as she was not able to take care of her four children on her own. She took her oldest daughter and youngest son with her, and left 12-year old, Varsha, and Varsha’s 10-year old brother alone in the slums of Pune, ostensibly under the care of neighbors, so that they could continue to attend school.

For the last year, Varsha and her younger brother have been completely on their own, which is challenging for them to manage, particularly with regard to meals. Luckily for them, Varsha and her brother are both students of the Ashraya Initiative for Children Education Outreach Program, which means that, in addition to educational sponsorship, they both receive daily meals at the AIC Education Centre.

Your donations, Pamela, Pooja, Don, Dwayne and Terese (x2), George, Jeffery, Anil (x2), Tom, Thomas and Ted and Pam, will ensure that Varsha gets three healthy, fresh and nutritionally-balanced meals for an entire year. This is a lifeline for students like Varsha, who would otherwise go hungry on a regular basis.

Varsha successfully completed her 6th grade, and is now entering the 7th grade. With the nutritional support she is receiving through your support, she is well on her way to being the first person in her extended family to graduate from school!

Thank you for extending a hand of support to Varsha.