Mukesh Dubey Scholarship for Hotel Management
Mukesh Dubey, resident of Motipur leprosy colony, Bihar. He shifted to this colony with his family when his father was diagnosed with leprosy. Due to lack of access to treatment and late detection, his father’s hands and feet were partially impaired.
The colony had other patients or previously affected people who had accepted their plight and were oblivious to the world outside the colony. But, the despair did not weaken Mukesh’s willingness to succeed. His father was educated too and soon after his treatment, started teaching in the leprosy colony.
His mother too served as a ‘sevika’ in a local anganwadi. His parents sent Mukesh and his elder brother to a boarding school till 8th class where they only studied with other leprosy affected children. For their matriculation, however, they studied in an English medium school and this was no less than a dream for them. Soon, they realized that their identity was a social barrier. They could never reveal their true identity or residence. Around the same time, Mukesh heard about S-ILF as he saw other students receive scholarships. He then started dreaming of higher education and was motivated to secure good grades. Unfortunately, while Mukesh was focusing on studies, his brother got diagnosed with a serious kidney ailment. To support his treatment, the family took loans and Mukesh started working alongside school.
He could not prepare for his engineering entrance but then decided to pursue Hotel Management with the help of HH Dalai Lama-Sasakawa Scholarship. With his determination, he cracked the scholarship interview and was thrilled to start his course after the scholarship was offered. Mukesh says completing Hotel Management was unachievable without the financial assistance provided by S-ILF.
His alternative plan was to directly take up a job after school as his family was facing severe financial stress. The scholarship was life-altering for him as the course opened up new horizons for him and helped him get a job with Carnival Corporation. He now travels to countries like Norway, Portugal, Spain etc. with a salary of Rs 49,000 per month. With the help of this job, he is now able to re-pay the loans taken by his family and in future, wishes to build a new home for his parents.
He also wants to contribute back to the leprosy colony by contributing money for basic necessities and infrastructure. As a beneficiary of S-ILF’s educational support program, he feels that the continued efforts of S-ILF are shifting the paradigm and helping students take big leaps. He says that the financial assistance was also coupled with regular follow-ups and counseling which kept him going. For him, S-ILF was synonymous to hope and acted as a stepping stone in his journey.
He also advises other students in leprosy colony to be sincere and urges them to stay focussed on education. S-ILF is committed to ensuring a secure future for more beneficiaries and giving them a chance to pursue rewarding professional avenues. The success of Mukesh is a testimony to the unexplored talent and growth potential in leprosy colonies of India. With the help of education, we are all set to light the spark and give a platform to such youngsters. This is a significant step towards a dignified life that many people affected by leprosy across India dream of.
