Fourteen year old Gunjan comes from the village of Anupshahr and is in class 9B. Her father, Devdutt, is a teacher while her mother, Geeta, is a housewife. Gunjan’s mother, who completed class 10, fully supports her going to school because she knows the benefits of it and how it will affect her future. The family, including one older and younger brother, lives in a two room house which has a toilet and electricity along with a hand pump for water.

Gunjan is a quiet and shy girl but is nevertheless quite smart. She’s often found at school chatting with friends if she isn’t singing and entertaining her friends with the latest Bollywood music. Before coming to Pardada Pardadi in 2008, Gunjan attended school in another village, and she joined this school because she thought the education was better. In the future, Gunjan would like to be an English teacher when she grows up!

The school has chosen to open a school the area that Gunjan lives, so that these girls can get an education and have the ability to have a job after they graduate. Supporting these girls will ensure the success of them!

Thank you so much, Chaithra for supporting Gunjan in your donation of a new uniform!

Fifteen year old Sheetal comes from the village of Khalor.  Her father, Virendra, is a farmer while her mother, Kamlesh, is a housewife; Sheetal’s father has a 12^th class education and her mother has a 5^th class education. Sheetal has five siblings – three sisters and two brothers and together, the family lives in a two room house that has a toilet and a hand pump for water but no electricity. They also own two buffaloes which provides them with milk and labor.

Sheetal is currently studying in class 9B and  is a happy girl who loves playing kho-kho. Her favorite subject is English, and she loves reading stories and often checks books out of the library. She loves studying and loves attending school. After finishing her schooling, she wants to continue her studies and perhaps become a vocational teacher at the same school.

Your generous donation, Rashid will ensure that Sheetal gets a new school uniform that will last her through an entire year.

Thank you so much, Rashid, for your support of Sheetal.

Fifteen year old Ritu comes from the village of Khalor and is currently studying  in Grade 9. Her father, Ravindra, is a doctor, and her mother, Santosh, currently works for Pardada Pardadi in the kitchen. Ritu has only two sisters, which is a rarity, and they live in a two room house that has a toilet, electricity, and a hand pump for water. Her family owns one cow and three buffaloes which are used for labor and milk.

Ritu is an extremely smart and outgoing girl. Her English is one of the best in the school, and is always willing to chat with vistors. Ritu and her sisters all love Pardada Pardadi because her mother, Santosh, has heavily invested in the education of her daughters; Ritu’s mother makes all of her girls study hard. After finishing school, Ritu plans to study to become a doctor in Anupshahr so that she can help other people.

Thank you so much, Beth for supporting Ritu by donating a new school uniform, and hopefully she won’t get it to dirty while she is playing her favorite sport, football!

I am Radha. I study in grade 9 at the school run by Pardada Pardadi in Anoopshahar, Uttar Pradesh.  I live in a village called Dugrao, which is about 9 miles away from the school. Though I love coming to school, it was very difficult for me to do so. My family does not own any transportation, and even young children like me get used to walking long miles on foot. Its very different in the villages here, unlike in cities where there are buses and trains- my father walks ten to fifteen miles every day to the farm land where he tills the land.

But with your gift of a bicycle, Charlie, everything has changed. Coming to school is now a great joy.  Now, I also give rides on my bicycle to my friends and family. Sometimes, my father sits on the back of the bicycle too as I carefully pedal it. I know that I should cycle safely; my school tells me that I should not cycle too fast on the road and that I should watch out for traffic.

Thank you, Charlie. Your gift of a bicycle has changed my life totally.

Dear Pooja,

Asha is currently in Class 7A at Pardada Pardadi. Her father is a farmer and her mother is a housewife, and they all live in the village of Neta Nagar.

Asha is a girl of many likes and talents. Her favorite subject is Math while her favorite vocational work is resham embroidery work. She also likes to read very much and cook! Furthermore, she is interested in singing, dancing, and of course cricket! Both of her parents are illiterate, so they value her education at Pardada Pardadi.

Thank you, Pooja, for your gift of a new school uniform for Asha! This will last her through an entire year of school and will keep her warm while she plays cricket outside in the recess.