Raj Kiran Joshi was about to lose his admission in BITS-Pilani despite having been invited by the institute owing to his extra-ordinary merit. The reason was the poor economic condition of his parents who could not afford to pay a hefty fee of Rs 1.32 lakh per annum. However, an appeal by his mother to the city-based organisation Creative Foundation brought the smile back on Raj’s face, as the organisation has taken responsibility to sponsor his education in BITS- Pilani.

Raj and his twin brother Ravi excelled in class 12 exams with 96 and 92 per cent respectively. Raj even stood first in Kolhapur division of the Maharashtra State Board of Secondary and Higher Secondary Education (MSBSHSE). While Raj wants to pursue engineering in BITS- Pilani, Ravi is keen on doing chemical engineering from ICT, Mumbai for which the annual fee exceeds Rs 1 lakh.

Joshi family is from Satara. His father is food technologist and mother is housewife. His father’s business ran in losses two years back. The economic condition of the family cannot afford annual fees of both the children that is nearly Rs 3 lakh.

Raj’s father Kiran’s plan for education loan also did not work out as it was difficult to get that big amount. Raj’s mother, Asha then appealed for financial help to the city-based organisation Creative Foundation run by Sandeep Khardekar. The response was immediate.

“When we received the application and verified that it was genuine, we didn’t waste any time gathering money. Many donors willingly came forward and we could collect enough amount for the education of both the brothers,” said Khardekar.

Raj and his family expressed gratitude towards the organisation for showing trust in them. “We will not let down the expectations of our parents and the trust shown by the donors in us,” says Raj.

“We have already put seed amount of Rs 1 lakh. The organisation would form a fund to help such students,” said Khardekar.