Bhushan makes it happen

Future Smiles project beneficiaries

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world” -Nelson Mandela

In an age where education is considered the most powerful tool that can be used to wage a battle against world crises, we as a nation are failing to arm our children with this essential weapon. With a wide disparity in the society, where a section of it can afford the best of national and international education, there exists an underbelly that cannot even meet the expense of a basic high school education. In order to ensure a well-rounded youth, it is imperative to ensure that they receive an education that can aid them to lead better lives, and not continue to have the same hand-to-mouth sustenance that they were raised in.

Bhushan Tribhuvan, a resident of a small slum in Kalyan, lives with his parents and two younger siblings. His parents are laborers – an occupation that brings in an unstable income, depending on the amount of work they manage to get on a day to day basis. Even at the end of a good month, they manage to scrape by with a collective wage of around Rs. 7000, with a family of 5 to feed. Adding to the expenses was Bhushan’s illness. Bhushan was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection in his childhood, which had led to 4 operations since then.

However, despite his illness, Bhushan, a consistently bright student, studied up until the 10th standard at a Municipal School, scoring 70% marks in his S.S.C. examination. In spite of performing well above expectations in his 10th standard, Bhushan was undecided about his future education. While he was eager to attain higher education, his parents’ financial condition put him in a state of dilemma. Luckily for Bhushan, his father was exceedingly inclined towards educating his children, and thus motivated him to continue his studies. And so, in search of help, Bhushan reached Mumbai Smiles via SAPREM.

The Mumbai Smiles team noticed a spark in the eyes of this young student, and decided to aid him in completing his education. Bhushan underwent a few counseling sessions with Mumbai Smiles mentors, who then advised him to take up science stream and continue his education without worrying about finances. With the encouragement and support of Mumbai Smiles, Bhushan has been going from strength to strength, and excelling in his studies, without any stress of burdening his parents. Mr. Tribhuvan is grateful to the Mumbai Smiles team for making his son realize his potential and that he can complete his education and get a well-paying job, instead of becoming an unskilled labourer. The Mumbai Smiles’ team not only provides monetary assistance to such candidates, but also psychological conditioning in order to make them aware about the opportunities education can provide them with, and help them succeed in having a brighter future.