"My Mother is My God"---Visiting Mamata, SHE scholarship student in Chamarajanagar, Karnataka

Mamaha and her mother Puttayamma, December 2016

This is Mamatha, one of 210 YGB's SHE Scholarship of Higher Education students in Chamarajanagar, north of Mysore, Karnataka. We first visited her and her family in December 2016, when she just received this scholarship to continue her higher education.  Her mother Puttatayamma is illiterate and has struggled to survive for all her life, supporting siblings at young age , and raising three children with her husband's small daily wage after marriage. "My Mother is my God."---Mamata expressed in tears her deep adoration and respect for her mother's loving sacrifice for her family.

She told us that her goal was to become a mechanical engineer to support her family and the poor in her community. Many of her peers could not make it to college also due to family's poverty. " I would have probably just stayed home doing house chores if it were not for SHE scholarship, " Mamata expressed her gratitude for this scholarship with tears. Nobody in her family has ever received higher education.

In January this year, YGB Seva Team visited Chamarajanagar, north of Mysore and visited Mamata's home. As you can see from her big smile,  her confidence in her life and future was clearly evident. This time, Mamata was more specific about her goals with her degree. "I want to get Mechanical Engineering Degree to help develop my poor hometown Chamarajanagar. I also want to help children with disabilities. I see them on the bus and they live very hard life and need more support." 

With this scholarship, Mamata is learning about outside world, mingling with other people, and feeling the need to serve for this hometown and people in need of much deserved attention, care and development.

It was truly inspiring to visit Mamata and her family who totally support her higher education. Nobody in her family ever had higher education. Mamata's younger brother now looks up to this big sister and wants to follow her footsteps. Mamata said, " I want my brother to get higher education. I will make sure and help him to achieve his goals in life. " With this scholarship, Mamata's family is transforming. With your support, YGB is funding 260 youths this year here in Karnataka as well as in West Bengal. This scholarship program for desitute but bright youths gives me so much hope and inspiration every time I meet these students. Their eyes are so bright and shining with confidence and determination to obtain a degree and achieve their goals in their lives, which was once just a dream.

YGB Seva Trip participant Ambassadors Julee and Mina with Mamata's grandmother

YGB Seva Trip 2018 visited Mamata and her family with Prof Jayadev, Prajna and Teachers from YGB NGO partner Deenabandhu Trust, Chamarajanagar, Karnataka, India. YGB Seva 2018  participants are (fro top left) Julee Yew-Crjins (UK/Malaysia), Lauren Peterson (USA), Beate Scholtz (USA/The Netherlands), Anouk Prop (The Netherlands/Thailand), Kayoko Mitsumatsu (USA), Mina Lee (AbuDhabi/Korea), Bonnie Ikemura (USA) and Sharda Ten Hove (The Netherlands/Thailand)