Special Episode: Harshali's Story

Harshali, a first generation learner, has secured admission to do an MSc in Election, Campaign and Democracy from Royal Holloway at the University of London. She is now raising funds to be able to support her fees and living expenses. This is her story.Link to her fundraiser: https://milaap.org/fundraisers/support-harshali-3Details from her fundraiser: As a first generation learner and a member of the downtrodden section of the indian society, me and my family have faced multitudes of socio-economic and cultural discriminations.I recognise that this opportunity will not only help me individually but also through my personal trajectory, present ways to integrate underrepresented communities in the social and economic mainstream.Despite low family income, my father who is a retired mill worker and my mother who is a homemaker were committed to provide the best education for me that they could afford. I completed my graduation in Physics from Fergusson College, Pune. My degree in Science encouraged a sense of scientific and rational enquiry in me. However, it also allowed me to participate in programs like NSS and work for ‘Science For All’ foundation which gave me an insight into how even in educational spaces structures of oppression, marginalisation continue to be reinforced through everyday practices of administration. This steered me towards a degree in Social Sciences at Tata Institute of Social Science Mumbai, as I wanted to employ my academic training to build a significant impact in supporting the educational goals of the most deprived students. I completed my Masters in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai. My educational experiences exposed me to different realities of society and expanded my world view.Despite my grit and my family's unconditional support, our financial condition continued to pose a challenge in achieving my educational goals. It was only through government scholarships and fellowships that I could manage my  fees. These aids also gave me a chance to work with children, women, and other minority groups.Pursuing education has always been a struggle for me. Currently, my family is financially dependent on me and cannot support my higher education. Moreover, the pandemic has aggravated the situation further. Due to the pandemic, many funding institutions have frozen their scholarships and funding opportunities. Therefore, self-funding my higher education becomes a critical roadblock at this juncture.I plan to fund my tuition fees through partial loans and living expenses through part-time jobs. But, due to the high amount of tuition fee, I need your help to achieve my dream of attaining this prestigious degree.

Om Podcasten

Arundhati and Deepa - two feminists, friends, partners-in-crime - bring you a podcast full of conversations that make sense of the everyday through a fun, fierce, feminist gaze. कई कहानियाँ होती हैं जो कागज़ों में नहीं, जिस्म, ज़हन, जज़्बातों में छपी होती हैं| फुरसत feminism is an anthology of stories of living, breathing, dreaming feminist realities.