From School Dropout to District Topper

Ramesh Prasad was 11 years old when his family withdrew him from school. His father, a daily wage labourer, was injured and unable to work. Ramesh began accompanying relatives to construction sites, earning ₹80 a day to help feed five siblings.

Two years later, a neighbour brought him to AIM Pathshala's Pithouri centre. He came hesitantly, unsure whether he could ever go back to learning. His reading was at a Class 2 level; he was ashamed.

What followed was three years of daily dedication. Arvind Singh, our lead educator at Pithouri, worked with Ramesh individually, building his confidence and filling in foundational gaps. Ramesh stayed after class. He borrowed books. He started a study group with younger students.

Last year, Ramesh appeared for the Class 10 board examination through the National Open School. His results came in March: District Topper in Social Science and Hindi, with 78% aggregate.

Today, Ramesh volunteers at the same centre where he began. He helps younger students with reading on Saturday mornings. 'Main chahta hoon ki koi aur baccha meri tarah ruk na jaye,' he says. 'I want no other child to stop the way I did.'

His dream is to become a government school teacher in Gaya. We believe he will.