Case studies

Shiv P. Tiwari

Age: 21

Occupation: Student in B.Tech Electronics and Communications, Allahabad University

Family: 2 brothers, 2 sisters, lives away from home.

Shiv: The student who’s making his family proud

Shiv Prasad Tiwari’s mother, Prem, fought to send her son to DPMS and then, with his top grades, on to a good university. It was a dream that, at some points, neither of them believed would come true.

Shiv remembers his upbringing with a mix of fondness and sadness. In a rural farming community in Sitamarhi, he and his family lived day to day on the income from his father’s job as a taxi driver in Mumbai, and the subsistence from their small farm.

"Our upbringing was fraught with economical problems.Paying the fee for DPMS was hard for us".

Looking at her surroundings and hoping for something better for her children. Prem Tiwari determined herself to send her children to DPMS, believing an English education would be their ticket to university and employment beyond. Despite the financial difficulties she managed to enrol Shiv in Class 3. He came top of his class in the first year, which further cemented her resolve.

Thinking back to his time at DPMS, Shiv talks of happy memories, referencing the exposure he received at the school as well his education.

"Everything about school was the best. I am what I am because of DPMS".

Unfortunately, although Shiv’s parents wanted all their children to complete school, even the subsidised rates at DPMS were too much for all five to complete their studies. It’s a point Shiv notes himself: "It would have helped if the school was affordable for the poor, but I understand that there aren’t enough sponsorships for everyone."

However, as the oldest child, Shiv was able to complete school and always wished to make his mother’s dream a reality. After passing Class 12, he enrolled for his university course at Allahabad University.

Shiv’s hope is to complete his degree and take up employment, enabling him to support the family in the future. His ambition one day is to pass GATE (the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) and appear for the combined competitive examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruitment to the Indian Engineering Services (IES).

For now that still feels like a distant ambition. He recently completed his second year at Allahabad and came first in his class but, as they have throughout his education, his family are struggling to pay the final year fees.

As always Shiv is determined to find a way forward - he has come too far to give up now.

I have told my father that we can take more time to pay the fees and I will photocopy books from my friends and study until we can.

For more information on how to sponsor a child at Dayawanti Punj Model School, visit the school website.

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