Friendly Overtures

Vani Subramaniam founder and member of managing committee of says,”We wanted to shape the future of those who had that spark of brilliance in them but could not get the opportunity due to economic constraints. We have been reaching out to meritorious,economically backward students to ensure that they too get a chance at educating themselves.”

Subramaniam adds that through the succeeding years,FOC has helped students not merely in Pune but also from small towns and rural areas such as Rajgurunagar,Manchar,Narayangaon,Junnar,Ale,Baramati,Saswad and Sangli. “FOC focuses on students after they pass out from Class 10. This is the juncture at which most students make a call to drop out of college as they cannot afford the fees or the needs at home are too imperative to be ignored.”

With the help of 30 active volunteers FOC approaches the needy students and lends a hand of help to them. FOC’s student members belong to a wide cross-section of courses including Engineering,Computer Science,Commerce,and Science. Today,over 310 students benefit from this organisation through college and exam fees,textbooks,workshops,mentoring and residential camps. “We also manage a library and a computer lab in a local corporation school at Shivaji Nagar for the use of its students. In addition we also conduct regular workshops and camps on soft skills,career counseling with the assistance of professional trainers,” she says.

Aparna Pardeshi another of the founding members says,” The kind of satisfaction we derive from this work ensures that we do not need to charge anyone for the services that we provide. Seeing a student fulfill his or her dream is probably the biggest payment that we as members receive.”