Former cricketer Sachin Tendulkar’s help puts teenager on path to realizing her dream of becoming a doctor

Sachin Tendulkar stepped forward to help 19-year-old Deepti Vishwasrao Ratnagiri’s dream of becoming a doctor. Deepti is now on her way to becoming the first doctor from her small village of Zarya after Tendulkar and his organization the Seva Sahega Foundation (SSF) decided to fund her efforts.

During the lockdown, Dipti, daughter of a farmer, had to travel a kilometre every day to find a network on her phone. Her online classes She says a stable internet connection was the biggest challenge in attending online classes. It hampered her studies, so she decided to go to a place where she could get a decent network.

Dipti scored 574 out of 720 in her National Eligibility-cum- Entrance Test (NEET) and later secured admission at the Government Medical College in Akola. But the family was facing financial issues. With some assistance from relatives, they somehow managed to pay her fees, but Dipti was still falling short of hostel and other expenses. It was then that Tendulkar came to the family’s rescue.

“I am thankful to Sachin Tendulkar Foundation for awarding me the scholarship. The scholarship has lightened all my financial burden which allows me to focus more on my studies. My lifelong dream of becoming a doctor is now moving forward to becoming a reality at Government Medical College, Akola. I promise I will work hard and one day I will be able to help other brilliant students for fulfilling their dreams just as Sachin Tendulkar Foundation helped me,” Dipti said.

Tendulkar’s NGO SSF has supported 833 students across four states and 24 districts over the last 12 years.

Tendulkar tweeted, “Dipti’s journey is a shining example of chasing one’s dreams and making them a reality. Her story will inspire many others to work hard towards their goals. My best wishes to Dipti for the future!”.