Education is empowering and can often be a gateway to new opportunities. For some, affording education can be a challenge. Purna Parasuraman, Random Acts’ Senior Global DEI Specialist, is a fierce supporter of education. “I strongly and passionately advocate women standing on their own feet and being financially independent,” Purna explained. “Many girls in India coming from poor families often are denied the privilege of education.” When Purna learned Shubangi, a housemaid in Mumbai, India, was encountering issues with her daughters’ education, she wanted to assist.
Shubangi is the sole breadwinner for her family and is working hard to put her daughters through school. However, with online education becoming more prevalent and technology taking a greater role in classrooms, school supplies can be expensive. The girls’ schooling requires the family to have a working phone. “When I heard of their situation, that they were losing grades and facing poor attendance remarks from school due to their phone not functioning, I wanted to do something,” Purna stated.
Phone for Help
Photo courtesy of Laura Rivera on Unsplash
With a little bit of coordination from a few Random Acts team members, a new phone was ordered and it was delivered to the family two days later. “[Shubangi] was overwhelmed with emotions and smiled the entire day,” Purna said. “She was so relieved that her kids could now attend school without any worries.”
When asked how she felt after the act, Purna expressed gratitude, “I felt blessed to be part of Random Acts […]The gift of education is most precious, it can change the world.” She was personally touched by how her act affected Shubangi’s children: “Seeing Sonali and Deepali so happy with their new phone and able to enjoy their childhood without added stress meant so much to me.”
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