Dipti Vishvasrao, a resident of Zarye village in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, is on way to becoming the first lady doctor from her village. But it has been a story of financial struggle for the 19-year-old who had always dreamt of achieving her goal since childhood.

With the support of her farmer father and housewife mother, Dipti worked hard burning the midnight oil to prepare for her exams.

During the lockdown, she would travel a kilometre every day from her remotely located village to as to get a network connection to be able to continue her studies online. Her hard work paid dividends as Dipti, who had performed exceptionally well in her Board examinations, successfully cleared the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) to secure an admission to the Government Medical College at Akola.

Financial constraints, however, came in the way of pursing her dreams. She was unable to afford the fees and other expenses due to her father’s modest income. While her relatives contributed, she was still short of funds for meeting the hostel and other expenses.

As she was losing hope, Sachin Tendulkar came to her rescue. His timely intervention through his Foundation, in association with the Seva Sahyog Foundation (SSF), ensured that Dipti is today well on track to realising her dreams and aspirations of becoming the first girl from her village to become a doctor. Despite challenges in reaching her family at their remote village, Sachin along with officials of the SSF ensured that the required funds were arranged within a short span of time.

“Dipti’s journey is a shining example of chasing one's dreams and making them a reality. Her story will inspire many others to work hard towards their goals,” said Sachin.

Dipti is just one of the several beneficiaries of the partnership between Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and Vidyarthi Vikas Yojna, a project of the SSF. This project works towards providing financial support to students from the underprivileged section of society to pursue higher education. It also provides support to schools in remote areas to upgrade their educational qualifications. Over the past 12 years, SSF has supported 833 students across four states and 24 districts.

“I am thankful to Sachin Tendulkar Foundation for awarding me the scholarship. The scholarship has lightened all my financial burden which allows me to focus more on my studies,” Dipti said in a video message from SSF’s handle.

“My lifelong dream of becoming a doctor is now moving forward... I promise I will work hard and one day I will be able to help other brilliant students for fulfilling their dreams just as Sachin Tendulkar Foundation helped me.”