#AbhyudayaKatha: “I’m not just shaping my Sitara’s future; she is shaping mine too.”

“Mentoring the Abhyudaya Sitara has been an emotional journey. She calls me ‘Didi’, and that gives me a sense of mentoring my own sister. Despite her humble background, she aspires to start a baking business, and I’m committed to helping her achieve it. As Helen Keller once said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” The day I met her, I realised I have so much to learn from her – the will to excel, explore and do good in life. She aspires to go to South Korea one day and do her higher studies. She wants to explore the area of public speaking and work on it, and I want to help her develop the same. I believe in her potential and envision her as a confident individual who realises her dreams and becomes an inspiration to others. As a mentor, I plan not just to limit myself to the world of science and mathematics but also be her “saarthi” in nurturing dreams and futures. It’s a privilege to be part of her journey, and I want to contribute effectively to her dream of making her ‘One-Room House’ into a ‘House of Dreams’. For me, mentoring is a journey of mutual learning. I’m not just shaping my Sitara’s future; she is shaping mine too.

Abhyudaya-SPJIMR is a transformative experiential learning course where PGDM participants mentor underprivileged school children called Sitara, contributing to UN #SDG4 of Quality Education.