“I enjoyed my parents’ frequent travels from a very young age. My childhood was marked by the impressions of the most varied destinations and cultures and the journeys in the caravan particularly allowed me to come into close contact with the people in each place.

 

Being confronted with poverty awakened my desire to help disadvantaged people at an early stage. I attempted to keep up with that by regularly donating money to various charities throughout my studies. However, this only fuelled my drive to become involved and the plan to personally and actively help had been at the back of my mind ever since.

 

A work opportunity in Dubai opened new doors for my career in the field of Business Development and Marketing. In 2011, I embarked on a journey throughout India, which allowed me to redefine my priorities. I encountered truly unbelievable poverty that can barely be put into words. As a backpacker, I crossed several areas of India by myself, visited several NGOs and helped locally in order to understand the source of this poverty and the potential for providing sustainable aid.

 

I quickly learned that the vicious circle has its roots in the rural areas, far away from the well-known slums of the big cities. The poor living conditions cause people to hope for a better life in the cities and they move away from the countryside. Yet hardly anyone succeeds. In the metropolises, which are already bursting at the seams, most of the emigrants end up in miserable slums and are forced to continue their lives begging. My support, therefore, had to be based in the rural areas, so that help can be offered where it is needed the most, while simultaneously easing the burden on the overcrowded urban slums.

 

My dream of being able to achieve a positive change in the world was realised step by step. In 2012, the money I saved up and the support of local partner organisations enabled the birth of The India School Project.

 

I currently dedicate every spare minute I have left after my studies and a part-time job to develop the project so that as many children as possible can be supported. I am very happy to be able to rely on the support of my family, friends and donors and thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Sandra Gojkovic

July 2013