After sponsoring school fees of 90 students, the alumni association of Goregaon's Vivek Vidyalaya has helped the school’s class-8 student suffering from cerebral palsy, with monetary assistance for his treatment.
On June 20, The Free Press Journal reported that the alumni association of Goregaon (W)-based Vivek Vidyalaya School and College sponsored school fees of 90 underprivileged children of their alma mater to commemorate the 25th martyrdom anniversary of their former schoolmate Captain R. Subramanian. Capt. Subramanian attained martyrdom while leading an anti-militancy operation in the Haphruda forest of the Kupwara district in Kashmir in 2000.
At the cheque distribution ceremony, a recipient’s mother Nilam Sonawane, who accepted the sponsorship for her younger child, sought the alumni association’s help for her elder son Bhushan. The class-8 student has been suffering from cerebral palsy from the age of two years. While his father is a school van driver, his mother is a home-maker, unable to take up any job due to her elder son’s medical condition.
Bhushan is undergoing neurological treatment at Wadia Hospital and has to undergo a major surgery for his leg injury. Vivek Alumni Association (VAA) decided to provide financial help of Rs30,000 to cover his surgery expense.
Jayashree Unni, chairperson of VAA, said, "The financial medical support will help them cover the entire cost of Bhushan’s surgery and ongoing treatment as on date. We are also trying to see if we can help the parents with the monthly medicine expense which is about Rs3,500 to Rs4000.
Shishir Vivekanand Shetty, Secretary of the association, said, "There are many families who are fighting to educate their children despite of all challenges in their life, mainly the shortfall of adequate minimal income. We aspire to assist as many deserving families such as the Sonawane's, who have prioritised the future of their children come what may."
The donors of the association are primarily the former students of the school and college. VAA has been organising fundraising events at regular intervals for such donations. The association has also organised a monsoon camp for the alumni at Amba Ghat hill station in July. While the alumni and their families will enjoy a lovely getaway, the trip will also act as a fundraiser for social activities, said the joint secretary Dr. Smith Naik.
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