Young Chandu enrolled in our centre in the 7th grade. He is in college now. However the pandemic brought with it lot of difficulties and the family finds it difficult to make ends meet. His father abandoned the family and his mother lost her job as a daily wage earner during Covid. Added to these woes she also fell critically ill. All responsibilities are now on young Chandu’s shoulders. He attends college during the day and post 3 pm he works at a local supermarket till late night. During the Alumni meet he told us it's really hard to strike a balance between studying and working but he has little choice. His academic work is sandwiched in between his working hours, he must do his thinking on the run. The loans incurred due to his mother’s surgery and sister's pregnancy looms large. The physical strain of such a routine is undermining his health. But Chandu is resilient. Our centre has many such examples of students and their families living such tense, unstable lives, wondering where the next rupee will come from! Many are overworking in a mad effort to earn part or all of their expenses. We admire the spirit of the go-getters. It's truly heroic and especially if it is done Chandu’s style….with a big huge smile!