All of us have had numerous of experiences where people ask us for help to fill an application form or to read the route board in a bus or to even help with reading a letter arrived via post. We do, at times help them and go away, but does that solve the problem of illiteracy? Definitely not! They shall continue to depend on others for lifetime. To help give permanent solutions, that is, to help increase the rate of literacy, iU cares Foundation initiated a project ‘iU literacy’ where the youngsters are motivated to reach out to downward sections of the society and provide basic education to help them live a self-dependant life.

The delegates of the platform of i3, in Pune, executed the same project to create a permanent impact in the lives of the illiterates. Aditya Bagul, a student of SVPM College of Engineering, Baramati, became the reason to help 110 children in slums learn basic alphabets and numbers. Reaching out to each of these kids and helping them learn, gave him a memorable experience for lifetime.

He shares about the encounters, “More than the number of children impacted, the delight on the faces of these few kids, was the real impact. Being able to give a hand to the children who are in actual need of education, is the most satisfying feeling one can ever get. If each literate can help an illiterate, taking out a few minutes of his everyday life, then we can create so many literates in just a few days. I helped the slum kids learn alphabets and basic words they could use in everyday life.” Aditya, who is currently pursuing final year civil engineering, dreams to create a mark of his own in the industry. He adds, “It’s truly important to involve in activities other than studies. Executing social projects has made me add values in so many lives today. That is what defines true success.”

Tejas Lad who was also a part of the execution of iU Literacy project, was the reason to impact more than 100 people. “I did not only reach out to children near construction sites to teach them the basics, but also approached the elders and taught them how to write their names. They were so happy that they could anymore sign instead of thumbprints. Every time they sign a paper, they remembering me, is in itself a great gift! I truly realized that if we help others grow, eventually we grow along” says he.

The delegates together impacted nearly 250 people at the slums, road sides and at construction sites in and around the city of Pune in 7 days’ time, not only helping them learn basics but also inspiring the parents of these children to send them to school, that shall help lead a better life than the present. If the concept of ‘Each one Teach on’ is instilled in every educated mind, not only will the nation’s literacy rate increase, but also the overall productivity that is bound to increase.