UAE | Community Reports
Gulf News readers offer to help teenager realise dream
Plight of 17-year-old moves dozens to donate
- By Shveta Pathak, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 February 2, 2012
- Image Credit: Jayaprakash/Gulf News
- I want to become a teacher. My father is a heart patient and he is not able to provide the money for my studies, says Shravana.
Dubai: Dozens of Gulf News readers have been contacting the newspaper with offers of help after we reported the plight of 17-year-old Shravana, a student from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh who was found begging on the streets of a Kerala town to raise money for a training course that would fulfil her dream of becoming a teacher.
Less than a day after Gulf News published the report on January 30, the story elicited a massive reader response and got more than 10,000 views on its online edition. Commenting online, dozens of readers offered to contribute financially to help realise Shravana's dream. Many readers also offered similar help on Gulf News' Facebook and Twitter pages, while others called to seek further details.
The Gulf News report highlighted how Shravana, a native of Ananthapur and a brilliant student, moved to Alappuzha in Kerala and started begging to raise money for a teachers' training course — which would cost her Rs240,000 (around Dh18,000) — and fulfil her childhood dream of becoming a teacher. Her ailing parents, who eke out a living by doing odd jobs, are unable to afford the cost of the course.
Gulf News reader Gaurav Sharma, 29, who works with a private company, said he could feel what Shravana was going through as he read the story.
"Had Gulf News not published the story, we wouldn't have ever learnt about her. Having faced some very tough situations in my life, the first feeling I got was to help this girl," he said.
Meenaz Kassam, a Canadian-Indian university professor in Sharjah, told Gulf News: "The story touched my heart deeply. It is really sad that the girl had to beg to fund her education. Her ambition is also very noble. By becoming a teacher, she would further be able to shape many lives. I really want to help her."
Alex Abraham, International News Editor, Gulf News, said: "Going by the response to the story, it was imperative on our part to find out how our readers can help the girl.
"We contacted our correspondent in India, who did the spade work and realised that being a minor, Shravana did not have a bank account. We also wanted to ensure that the money which is offered for help does not land in wrong hands.
With the help of the Child Welfare Committee in Ananthapur and a local bank, we are now in the process of verifying the bank account of the girl's mother."
Huda Tabrez, Gulf News Community Web Editor, said: "Shravana's story received a strong reaction from Gulf News readers. The newspaper received several queries from readers via email, comments on our website, calls to our hotline as well as comments on our Facebook page Gulf News Al Nisr Publishing and Twitter account @gnreaders They all were looking to help Shravana fulfill her dream."
Reunion and good news
The teenager found begging in Alappuzha in India's Kerala state to enable her enrol in a teachers' training course has been reunited with her parents.
Apart from the happy reunion, there was more good news for Shravana: the girl was introduced to Ananthapur district collector Durga Das, who assured her and her parents that the government would extend all possible help to her for pursuing higher studies.
As reported in Gulf News on Monday, the Kerala Child Welfare Committee officials rescued Shravana while she was begging and alerted their counterparts in Ananthapur, helping her reunite with her parents. A member of the rescue mission told Gulf News that the Child Welfare Committee in Ananthapur informed the girl's father Narasimhule and mother Ramanjinamma and handed her over to them.
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