India

Future Astronaut

"I lost my father when I was 3, and since then, my mother has been taking care of me, my sister and my younger brother. I do not get to see her often since she needs to work every day. We stay at an orphanage. Life has never been easy for us. The orphanage has very strict rules and it becomes very difficult to study since it is always very noisy. I am only able to study at night. We are not allowed to go out other than going to school.

"Even though I have been through a lot of ups and downs in my life, it has not taken down my spirit to work hard. I am in the top of my class and I love reading about new theories and conducting experiments. My teachers have been very helpful, and I really enjoy my schooling.

"Because of the Digital Equalizer program, we have been getting training for IT skills. Last year, I learned about MS Word and PowerPoint.

"My ambition is to be an Astronaut, be successful in life and build a house for my mother. For now, I am preparing for my entrance exam for a gifted children’s school, where I will be receiving full scholarship."

The American India Foundation has been a Dell Youth Learning partner since 2009. We support their Digital Equalizer program to help children and teachers in underprivileged schools across India bridge the digital and educational divide. Our support enables the program to provide computers, software, Internet access and training to students like Alisha – so they can develop the skills to join the 21st century workforce.

Learn more about Digital Equalizer program.