Pune: From paying the fees of students to supporting farmers who lost everything in the flood after heavy rain, several Puneites have stepped forward to help after they read their stories in The Times of India and were moved.“After reading about the plight of the students, my daughter and I wanted to do our bit to help them continue their education. So we decided to pay the fees of three students and will look at how to help more,” 77-year-old Sanjeev Dike, who personally went to Modern College of Engineering, SP College, and Fergusson College to help more students in need.Vikrant Ghumare, a working professional from Pimple Gurav, said, “It is our moral responsibility to help the affected people. They are under huge financial distress because of the losses caused by the flood. I will distribute kits comprising daily essentials, including groceries, so that the affected families can manage their cooking needs for at least a month.”A Pune-based professional working at a research centre said he could send Rs10,000. “I hope it makes at least a small difference,” he added.Marathi actor Pravin Tarde said he will visit several flood-hit villages over the next two months. “We will also meet owners of student messes and request them to give a one-month exemption from charges. If required, we will pay their bills,” he added.Educational trust, The Power of One, will extend support by paying fully or partially the tuition fees of students whose parents lost everything in the incessant rain in Maharashtra, its founder Prasad Narayan said. “If each college’s professor pays a minimum amount, out trust will match every rupee received up to Rs 30,000, and direct the funds towards bright students who are genuinely struggling to pay their fees,” he added. Other readers like Jignesh Doshi, Nimesh Sumati, Priya Jacob, John Mendonca, Yogita KD, Seema Tare, Anjaly Banarji, Pragya Sarda, and Sumedh Murugkar also reached out to TOI to understand how they could help students.Yet another reader said that her company can offer paid internships to three students on a rotational basis and full-time internships to two others which can help them pay for their living expenses.
