{"id":23651,"date":"2024-08-16T07:44:19","date_gmt":"2024-08-16T07:44:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/?p=23651"},"modified":"2024-08-16T09:04:50","modified_gmt":"2024-08-16T09:04:50","slug":"hubli-couple-mortgages-gold-and-overcomes-challenges-to-keep-education-accessible-for-community-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/hubli-couple-mortgages-gold-and-overcomes-challenges-to-keep-education-accessible-for-community-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Hubli Couple Mortgages Gold and Overcomes Challenges to Keep Education Accessible for Community Children"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunanda and Gangadhar Saunshi, J T Primary School, Hubli, Karnataka<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the quiet village of Mantur, near the fastest-growing city of Hubli in North Karnataka, live a couple whose resilience and determination are the heartbeats of their community. Sunanda and her husband, Gangadhar Saunshi lead a growing educational venture with great dedication in the village. Many families here struggle to afford education in Hubli due to financial issues and the difficulty of commuting. Sunanda understands this struggle deeply, as it mirrors her own family\u2019s challenges. “We knew how hard it was for families to send their kids far for school,” she says. This understanding led to the creation of J T Primary School, aiming to bring education closer to home.<\/p>\n

Gangadhar and his brother worked tirelessly to start and keep the school going. “Starting the school was tough, but we were committed to solving a big problem for our community,” Gangadhar remembers. The school began in 2010 with just 20-30 students and has grown steadily since.<\/p>\n

Sunanda and Gangadhar, united in their mission, inspire each other. “The hard work of our teachers and the success of our students drive us forward,” says Sunanda. “Their enthusiasm gives us the strength to continue improving the school.” Their shared passion has made a significant difference in their village.<\/p>\n

Testing Times<\/h2>\n

After Sunanda married Gangadhar, the management of the school was already in Gangadhar and his brother\u2019s hands. They ran two schools a few kilometers apart. \u201cWe faced challenges like low student numbers, rented buildings, and navigating the maze of school permissions,\u201d Sunanda reflects. These were typical hurdles for new school leaders, and they were no different.<\/p>\n

The real test came when family disagreements led to the end of the brothers’ partnership. With the partnership dissolved, Sunanda took over J T Primary School in Yaraguppi alone. Gangadhar, busy with his government job in Hubli, couldn\u2019t focus on the school. During a severe financial crisis, Sunanda had to pledge all her gold to keep the school running. \u201cThere were moments when I thought about giving up,\u201d she admits. But their strong belief in the importance of education kept them going. \u201cEven though it was hard, we knew how vital education is for the kids, so we pressed on.\u201d<\/p>\n

The COVID-19 pandemic brought even more difficulties. Unpaid fees made it hard to keep the school open, and the Ukraine war added extra stress as they worked to bring their daughter home safely. \u201cDespite the challenges, our commitment to the community kept us moving forward,\u201d Sunanda says. \u201cI believe our dedication will help us overcome any obstacle, and we will continue to serve with all our heart.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hubli<\/a><\/p>\n

Philosophy Driving The School<\/h2>\n

In a small village where most children came from rural and underprivileged backgrounds, the need for affordable education was deeply felt. The school\u2019s vision was clear: not only to educate these children but to help them achieve high-level careers. \u201cWe believe that quality education can transform lives,\u201d Sunanda says.<\/p>\n

As the school worked hard to provide this education, success stories started to emerge. Graduates landed jobs in various fields, and it was heartwarming to see them return to the school. \u201cOur alumni often come back to thank us, and their visits inspire both us and the current students,\u201d shares Sunanda. These successful former students became role models, showing what\u2019s possible with the right education.<\/p>\n

Sunanda, a central figure in the school\u2019s leadership, wanted to do more than celebrate individual successes. Her goal was to encourage every student to aim high and achieve even greater things. \u201cWe strive to inspire each student to reach for their dreams and go beyond what we\u2019ve achieved,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

The school\u2019s core philosophy is to offer selfless, affordable, and high-quality education. Every plan is carefully designed to meet the needs of both the students and the school. \u201cOur focus is on providing the best support and resources for our students,\u201d says Sunanda. Gangadhar and Sunanda, dedicated leaders, ensure that all resources are provided on time, always keeping the students\u2019 needs in mind.<\/p>\n

Collective Efforts<\/h2>\n

Decision-making at the school was a team effort. \u201cOur approach includes school leaders, the headmaster, and teachers working together,\u201d Sunanda explains. This teamwork ensured that every student, regardless of background, had the support and resources needed to aim high.<\/p>\n

\u201cBy collaborating on decisions, we provide the best support for all students,\u201d Sunanda says. \u201cWe are committed to ensuring every student has what they need to succeed,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

Varthana\u2019s Support<\/h2>\n

In the past, getting loans for school development was very difficult because most banks were hesitant to support educational projects. \u201cIt was challenging to find financial support until Varthana came into the picture,\u201d says Sunanda. Since 2016, Varthana has been a crucial partner, guiding the process from paperwork to loan disbursement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThanks to Varthana\u2019s support, we expanded our school building and bought essential materials,\u201d Sunanda explains. With this help, student enrollment grew from 100 to 380. The school now successfully offers classes from LKG to 8th grade, following the state syllabus.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recently secured a new loan from Varthana to continue improving the school,\u201d Sunanda adds. Varthana\u2019s role has been vital in turning the school\u2019s vision into reality, playing a key part in its growth and development.<\/p>\n

Future Growth<\/h2>\n

Sunanda and Gangadhar see the school as their own child, and they are dedicated to its growth and success. \u201cOur commitment to the school is like that of devoted parents,\u201d Sunanda says. They are focused on making progress and achieving their goals in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Currently, the school has basic infrastructure, but with more students joining after COVID, additional classrooms are needed. \u201cWe have TLMs (Teaching Learning Materials) for science and math, but we need dedicated labs for these subjects,\u201d Sunanda explains. Although there are many books, a well-organized library is necessary. They also want to set up a computer lab and integrate technology into teaching to improve the learning experience.<\/p>\n

Over the next 5 to 10 years, the school plans to expand classes up to the 10th grade and establish a state board PU college. \u201cWe are in the planning stages for these upgrades and will begin as soon as we have the funds,\u201d Sunanda notes. Significant funds, planning, and manpower will be required, and they hope Varthana will continue to support their efforts.<\/p>\n

Legacy and Impact<\/h2>\n

J T Convent is more than just a school; it feels like home, with teachers who care for students like family. “From day one, we aim to instill a vision in each child to become successful individuals,” Sunanda says. The school introduces successful alumni as role models to inspire current students. “We hope the inspiration sparked here stays with students throughout their lives,” she adds. The school\u2019s goal is to continue this legacy of values and motivation, guiding future generations to achieve their dreams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sunanda and Gangadhar Saunshi, J T Primary School, Hubli, Karnataka In the quiet village of Mantur, near the fastest-growing city of Hubli in North Karnataka, live a couple whose resilience and determination are the heartbeats of their community. Sunanda and her husband, Gangadhar Saunshi lead a growing educational venture with great dedication in the village. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":23653,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-customer-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23651"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23651\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23668,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23651\/revisions\/23668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/23653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/varthana.com\/school\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}