Collector Teja and corporates extend support to students orphaned by Covid

Thrissur Collector Ensures Education for Students Orphaned by Covid

Thrissur Collector V R Krishna Teja has taken steps to ensure the continued education of children who lost one or both parents to Covid. In cooperation with good Samaritans and corporate institutions, financial assistance is being extended to at least 50 students within just one-and-a-half months.

The project has already supported its first beneficiary on May 20, and it now covers a total of 50 students pursuing various courses such as Engineering, Chartered Accountancy, BSc Nursing, BSc Chemistry, B A Economics, B A English, Draftsman Mechanics, Lab Technician, B Com, Ayurveda Therapy, and Hotel Management, among others.

Collector Teja directly contacted educational institutions such as Sakthan Thampuran College, Chinmaya Mission College, Thrissur CA chapter, West Fort College of Nursing, Pottur, and SI-MET College of Nursing, Malampuzha, in neighboring Palakkad district. The aim is to either fully or partially exempt the course fees for the students.

This initiative aims to help students who have lost their primary breadwinners due to the pandemic and enable them to continue their education. It specifically includes students who excel academically but come from financially struggling families.

In the district, there are 609 students who have lost one or both parents to Covid. The financial aid is directly handed over to the students at the Collector’s chamber by the sponsors.

“The beneficiaries are selected based on their academic performance and financial situation. More students will receive assistance for their studies in the future,” stated the Collector.

Under this project, the expenses incurred by the students for completing their current courses, including hostel fees, are covered with the help of sponsors. The focus is on enabling them to finish the courses they are currently pursuing, and those who excel will receive support for further higher education.

The project has received sponsorship from notable entities such as the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (Credai), Sarojini Damodar Foundation, Erinjipurath Family Trust, All-Kerala Chemist Association, Thrissur district Sakkath Committee, industrialist Abdul Latheef, and retired bank employee and social worker Kalyana Krishnan.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a global impact from early 2020 to around mid-2022.