Jyotsna gets helping hand after her story goes viral, but hundreds of students facing similar situation in Pune

Heartwrenching story of 16-year old Jyotsna Salunkhe, a migrant student in Pune who can barely eat following lack of money, has led to many helping hands offering financial aid to her and several other students like her in the city.

Salunkhe’s woes went viral following a story on her where she claimed she could not eat even two meals a day. A junior college student of the prestigious Fergusson College in Pune, Salunkhe has come from a village in Marathwada region that is facing severe drought this year. Unable to afford the college hostel fees, she lives in a house as a paying guest sharing with 18 other girls. The number of girls staying in her room is 6. She wakes up early in the morning and walks 3 kilometers to reach the college, often without even a morsel in her stomach.

“ I eat meals once a day. My friend and I share food to save money. My mother, two younger siblings, and grandparents live in a village in Beed district. There is a farm, but there is no crop in that field during drought. After the death of my father my mother sent me to Pune for studies even when other family members were opposing her decision. I aspire to be an IAS officer as it was my fathers dream,” Salunkhe told LokmatTimes.Com.

Soon as her story went viral, several people transferred money to her account online. A few even offered her a bicycle for her commute to the college. But Salunkhe has humbly refused to take all the help to herself. “There are many like me in this city. They, too, need help,” she pointed.

Prashant Kanojia of Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, who has now arranged for a mess facility for Jyostna Said, “I came to know about the hardship these students are facing after the story was published. Currently we are focusing on providing food and other basic needs to these students. We have started a mess membership for Jyotsna and other students near Fergusson College so that they get good food three times a day everyday.” 

Like Jyotsna, many students from Marathwada are studying in Pune. Facing difficulties due to the drought situation in Marathwada the students are struggling to meet ends on a daily basis focusing on their studies.

A student of FYJC of Fergusson College Shrusti Gumare said, “ I aspire to join the National Defence Academy and am preparing for the entrance exam. I share food with one of my roommates and skip my breakfast to save money for books. I understand that the financial condition of my family has deteriorated due to the drought conditions in my village and as my family's major source of income is farming, I know my parents cannot afford expensive books and other facilities. I don’t want to make them feel bad about our situation. Hence I walk to college from my PG to save money. My mother currently works as a house help and father works as a driver. I came to Pune earlier this year, hoping that I will get accommodation in the hostel run by the social hostel department. But that didn’t happen. I hope to change the situation of my family by working hard towards my career.”

Second year student of Economics of Fergusson college Aniket Bhusnar who came to Pune in the year 2022 from Gangakhed said, “ Last year I received almost Rupees 3,500 from my parents. But this year, I did not receive any money as there is no work due to the drought situation in my village. I know how difficult it is back home and hence we don’t ask for money and work part time jobs to meet our needs. I and my other friends  skip meals in the mess to save money.

“My roommates work as delivery boys to earn money for their education.” said Aniket.

 Kuldeep Ambekar, director of Helping Hands, an organization that helps needy students, said, "Today there are more than 400 children from Marathwada in Pune city alone who are in urgent need of help. The government has declared drought in many of these villages where these students come from. Deprived of financial aid, many of them fear that they may lose the academic year if they didn’t get help urgently. If they return to their village, they fear that their dream of education will remain incomplete. But there is no money to stay in city here. They are stuck in a dilemma and hesitate to even express their problems to their parents knowing their situation.

"We appeal to the government and university administration to take steps for the betterment of such students,” he said.

"More than three hundred students have informed us that our home situation is dire. Some have no parents. Hostel and college fees are pending. The students fail to get part time jobs in the University. Earn and Learn is what these are practising currently. People should come forward and help these students."