Its been a long time since I have blogged. I'm working on blogging more regularly from now on. The reason for the blog today is that my parent's 50th Wedding Anniversary is on 10th March. We are sponsoring a small school in Ujungmakhon, Churachandpur District, Manipur for 3 years atleast.
What are my motivations to sponsoring a school? Coming from a middle class family, I feel education is of paramount importance in the world today. Even if I did not pay much attention in school does not mean, I did not get this point. Maybe in earlier times such as in the middle ages owning land was the what made one successful. Not that this doesn't make you successful now, they do but in this century it is education that will decide success. Good education in India is available to all, who can afford it. So the difference between you, me and a rickshaw puller or a janitor is not that we are geniuses (sorry to break the illusion). The biggest difference is that our parents could afford to keep us in school and away from working long enough. This ability to keep us in school makes a difference between 5th pass and a post graduation. This translates into difference in earning power a.k.a success. I hope the Ujungmakhon School provides others an education they deserve but can not afford.
Educated parents understand the importance of education, how going to school and college for 15 years and more translates into success. Therefore they work on educating their children even after school, reading to them etc. This creates a gap which will persist between those like us and those whose parents aren't educated. I don't know the answer to that but may be over 2 - 3 generations this gap can also be closed. And then the only difference between success will depend on ones own ability, hard work etc and not as Warren Buffet say's 'by winning the ovarian lottery'.
Why Manipur? I looked for a place with which I had some connection. My father was posted to Manipur and many North Eastern States and I have many fond memories of NE, my roommate in college is from there and had a lots of friends in school hostel who were from there. Also this is not mainstream India and would never be in the news. A place which not many would support. All this made me choose Manipur.
Please click on the link to Ujungmakhon School pictures of the school and the here is the link to SACSAS Academy which runs other schools in Manipur.
I hope and pray for the best for the children and the school, may it grow and prosper and educate many children.
What are my motivations to sponsoring a school? Coming from a middle class family, I feel education is of paramount importance in the world today. Even if I did not pay much attention in school does not mean, I did not get this point. Maybe in earlier times such as in the middle ages owning land was the what made one successful. Not that this doesn't make you successful now, they do but in this century it is education that will decide success. Good education in India is available to all, who can afford it. So the difference between you, me and a rickshaw puller or a janitor is not that we are geniuses (sorry to break the illusion). The biggest difference is that our parents could afford to keep us in school and away from working long enough. This ability to keep us in school makes a difference between 5th pass and a post graduation. This translates into difference in earning power a.k.a success. I hope the Ujungmakhon School provides others an education they deserve but can not afford.
Educated parents understand the importance of education, how going to school and college for 15 years and more translates into success. Therefore they work on educating their children even after school, reading to them etc. This creates a gap which will persist between those like us and those whose parents aren't educated. I don't know the answer to that but may be over 2 - 3 generations this gap can also be closed. And then the only difference between success will depend on ones own ability, hard work etc and not as Warren Buffet say's 'by winning the ovarian lottery'.
Why Manipur? I looked for a place with which I had some connection. My father was posted to Manipur and many North Eastern States and I have many fond memories of NE, my roommate in college is from there and had a lots of friends in school hostel who were from there. Also this is not mainstream India and would never be in the news. A place which not many would support. All this made me choose Manipur.
Please click on the link to Ujungmakhon School pictures of the school and the here is the link to SACSAS Academy which runs other schools in Manipur.
I hope and pray for the best for the children and the school, may it grow and prosper and educate many children.
