Tushar: a testament to ‘Asha Way of Life’ as he donates his scholarship money for Riverbed crisis.

Here’s a beautiful story. Asha International Student Tushar who is studying for his Masters at Sydney University, has just been awarded the most prestigious scholarship for academic achievement at his residential college, St Paul’s. He decided to donate his entire scholarship money of 500 dollars towards the tragedy that has occurred on the River Bed. I wept when I was over the phone with me and told me this. My heart was deeply touched that a boy who played by the railway tracks as a child and lived in such great poverty all his life, found it within himself to experience their sorrow from afar and give so abundantly and generously. What a wonderful testament to following The Asha Way of Life. Here is a letter he wrote:

Hello everyone,

I hope this message finds you all well. I am writing today to share some exciting news, along with a message and an appeal related to a tragedy that has recently affected families living in the River Bed slum of Delhi.

As a postgraduate student at Sydney University, I am currently residing at one of its residential colleges, St Paul’s College. The centrepiece of academic life at this college is the weekly Formal Dinner and the semesterly Academic Dinner. During a recent Academic Dinner, I was honoured to receive the college’s most prestigious Amy Louise Hart Scholarship in recognition of my academic performance in previous semesters. This scholarship commemorates the long-serving Matron of St Paul’s College, Amy Louise Hart.

I wish to acknowledge that I would not have been able to come so far and achieve this accomplishment without the personal mentoring, love, and care of my mentor, Dr Kiran Ma’am. Whenever I face challenges or receive opportunities, I always turn to her for guidance and support. Upon learning of my recent achievement, I was thrilled to share the news with ma’am, who promptly extended her congratulations by calling me. I could hear the same joy and excitement in her wishes as I felt upon receiving the award.

As I had seen a post regarding riverbed communities, during our conversation, I expressed my desire to donate the money received as part of this award to the Asha family for aiding families whose homes were demolished a few days ago. Dr Kiran Ma’am was moved to tears, as I could hear, upon mentioning about the plight of these families, describing how many of them suddenly found themselves homeless, with the education of school and college-going children hanging in the balance, and without certainty regarding basic needs such as food and shelter.

Although Asha’s family is making every effort to support those affected, it is challenging task, as many people have left the area. While I am located thousands of miles away from Delhi, I feel I can make a modest contribution to Asha’s efforts and dedicate my scholarship award to the people suffering in Delhi. As someone who has lived in slums my entire life, I understand the difficulties and hardships we face under such circumstances. Additionally, this act aligns with Asha values, which include paying it forward and possessing feelings of generosity and gratitude towards everyone.

Lastly, I encourage all the members and supporters of the Asha family to consider contributing to support Asha’s efforts in aiding the riverbed community. Your contribution would be deeply appreciated.

Thank you,

Tushar

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