Pune: Student Helping Hands; Educating and nourishing students through foods scholarships

“Over the last seven- eight years we have helped more than 5000 such students through our food scholarship programme. Yet many survive on just one meal a day,” he said. “A recent health survey of 600 children showed that 42 percent of girls and 26 percent of boys were anaemic!”, he added.

Ambekar (31) who set up SHS in 2018 recalled his personal struggle and how along with other friends a protest march was taken out. “We were just 200 students from various parts of Marathwada and Vidarbha but faced several challenges. We soon collected data of 1800 such students who were studying across various colleges affiliated to the Pune University and our demand was about basic needs. There were students from suicide-affected farmer families and the administration at the varsity soon took notice. Some donors also decided to provide meals for students who would survive on just one meal,” Ambekar recalled.

As part of the SHS, Ambekar and volunteers would assist students who came to Pune every year from drought-affected regions of Maharashtra with accommodation, quality of mess food and guide them with other educational details. “Still, several face challenges and hence we decided to set up a food scholarship scheme with the support of donors. Eligible students are selected based on various criteria,” he pointed out.

The enterprising youth is also associated with programmes conducted by Rashtra Seva Dal and would be a bridge to convey students’ problems with the organisers. Pramod Mujumdar, trustee at RJD– set up in 1941, which played an important role in India’s freedom struggle, noted that most students would not have breakfast or managed with just one meal a day.

“In association with Dr Mandar Paranjape (Sahabhaag Welfare Foundation), a senior pathologist, we decided to conduct a medical check-up camp for around 579 students. We found, to our dismay, that at least 42 percent of girls and 26 percent of boys were anaemic,”Mujumdar said. `”In our interviews with the students , several complained about anxiety and mental health challenges,” Nitin Vaidya, National President , Rashtra Seval Dal said.

“The results of the survey in terms of nutritional deficiencies and mental stress are startling and depressing,” Manisha Gupte, noted activist said. She added that it was vital that students like Ambekar and others, who based on their own experience of hunger and destitution upon coming to Pune for higher education set up Students’ Helping Hands, initiate programs just like these.