#20170301 - BE Mechanical 1st year student from Krishnagiri

This student is from a family that is dependent on agriculture for its livelihood. The family owns 40 cents of land but due to poor rainfall, yield was very low this year. The student’s mother tries to supplement their income by working in nearby farms but has not been able to find much by way of work.

The student’s father suffers from alcoholism and has moved to Bangalore, leaving the family behind in their rural home in Tamil Nadu. He does not support the family so it has been the efforts of the mother that has helped the student get an education until now. They own two cows and manage their expenses with income from the milk yield. The student is now pursuing a B.E. programme in Mechanical Engineering at a college near Krishnagiri. The mother and son live in a mud house. They said they were ready to sell the land to meet college expenses but the property is registered in a grandparent’s name.

Enquiries with the engineering college have revealed that the student is good at studies and has shown keenness in academics and sports. He spends time in the library as he hopes to prepare for entrance exams for higher education later. The family has paid a sum of Rs. 24,600 towards fees by selling one of their cows. Aalayam has promised to raise a sum of Rs. 30,000 to meet the remainder of the fee.