Yuvraj Sawant, Gurukul English Medium School, Malpur, Dhule, Nashik
The story behind starting school
Yuvraj Sawant was born into a farmer’s family in the small village of Malpur, located in the Dhule district of Maharashtra. Growing up in a financially struggling household, Yuvraj took on the responsibility of supporting his family from a young age. “I was selling vegetables and working on the farm while attending school. But I never stopped dreaming of a better financial future so I actively searched for other opportunities to earn money,” the visionary leader shares.
In addition to selling vegetables, Yuvraj worked as a technician in a TV repair shop, but he continued to search for an opportunity that would allow him to build a positive reputation in his village. It was during a casual conversation with friends that the idea of starting his own school sparked in his mind. Although he had no experience with starting or running a school, he applied for permission and was fortunate enough to receive approval to open the school just a few days later.
With this opportunity, providing education to children who would otherwise not have access to it becomes easy, he thought.
The school
Yuvraj started his school in a rented house. With great effort and the support of friends and family, he managed to enroll 62 students in the first year, back in 2010. Despite facing ridicule from familiar faces, who questioned his ability to survive with such low fees and low student numbers, Yuvraj remained undeterred and focused solely on his goal of providing quality education.
His dedication to his work bore fruit after seven years, as his student strength grew to 275, allowing him to earn a good amount of fees. With the funds he had accumulated, Yuvraj was able to purchase his own land and start constructing his school.
Today, Yuvraj’s school is known for providing quality education to children from all backgrounds.
Challenges
After investing a significant amount of capital, Yuvraj came to the realization that he needed more funds to complete his construction project. He understood that presenting a half-built structure to his stakeholders would create a negative impression.
Despite searching for various sources of funding, the amount offered by banks and societies was insufficient to meet his requirements. It was then that he heard about Varthana which could provide him with the loan he needed.
Also Read: From A Farmerworker’s Son To Becoming A Proud Edupreneur
Thankful to Varthana
After taking a chance, Yuvraj received a sanction letter from Varthana. The letter approved more than the required funds needed to complete construction and purchase equipment and facilities for the school in 2018. “I am thankful to Varthana as without their support, completing construction, purchasing computers, buses for transportation, and building the compound wall would not have been possible,” Yuvraj expresses his gratitude.
Moreover, he was able to pay off previous salary dues of the staff. “Even during the pandemic, we continued to receive support from Varthana as they restructured the loan during the financial crisis.”
COVID-19 was not the same for all
Everything was going well but then, the world was struck by a deadly pandemic, and everything changed. Three nearby schools were permanently closed and the students were sent home. Financial challenges, student attrition, and learning loss were major issues faced by these schools, according to Yuvraj. “I was fortunate that my school offered quality education at an affordable fee, which led to an increase in student enrollment even during the pandemic,” he announces.
Despite this success, Yuvraj still encountered financial difficulties as some parents were unable to pay their children’s school fees. To address this, Yuvraj sat down with the parents and had heartfelt conversations about their situation. He offered them the option to pay the fees in installments or whenever they were able to do so. His primary concern was ensuring that education did not stop for any of his students.
Yuvraj knew that many students had fallen behind during the pandemic, and he was determined to help them catch up. The school started offering remedial classes every day during the last hour, allowing students to cover any learning loss that may have occurred during the pandemic. These classes also allowed students to review and reinforce concepts from previous classes.
Few more words
Yuvraj states, “Varthana has been a great support to me during difficult times, and I am committed to strengthening this bond. I constantly strive to improve myself and my school, and I will continue to do so in the coming years. My plan is to purchase more computers and projectors next year to provide daily one-hour digital study sessions at the school. I am determined to provide quality education and my dedication to this cause will remain unwavering.”
Through his hard work and dedication, Yuvraj managed to keep the school alive, and his students on track towards a brighter future. But he never forgot the pain of seeing the other schools close their doors, and the dreams of their students shattered. It was a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope, as long as there are people like Yuvraj who are willing to fight for it.
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