In a serene village in Udaipur, Rajasthan, lives 16-year-old Himanshu Bhatt. He grew up under the care of his mother, Geeta Devi, while his father, Durgesh Bhatt, worked as an unskilled labourer in Surat, Gujarat to support the family. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, his father lost his job and returned to the village. Since then, he has been running a small tea stall near their home, striving to make ends meet.

Despite their financial struggles, Himanshu’s family always encouraged him to focus on his studies. His mother and elder sister, Mansi, have been his strongest pillars of support. Mansi, in particular, always helped Himanshu with his studies whenever he faced difficulties.

Back in 2016-17, Himanshu, as a Grade 3 student, struggled with reading and recognising numbers. This left him feeling hopeless about catching up with his peers in class. However, things started changing for him when a representative from Pratham included him in a 30-day learning camp under the Read India program.

Under this program, Pratham conducted learning camps to provide intensive bursts of remedial education in language and mathematics for children in Grades 3-5. These camps were conducted in bursts of 8 to 10 days and were spread over 50 days, depending on the child's learning level.

By the end of the camp, Himanshu could read and write simple stories and solve division problems—milestones that once seemed out of reach. This intervention improved his academic abilities as well as ignited a newfound interest in his studies.

Fast forward to 2023-24, Himanshu has come a long way. He scored 70% in his Grade 10 board exams and is now a Grade 11 student in the arts stream, studying Political Science, Geography, and Hindi Literature. Despite the family’s ongoing financial challenges, Himanshu remains determined to excel in his learning journey.

Himanshu’s transformation is not only evident in his academic achievements but also in his confidence and enthusiasm. He now supports his peers, sharing his knowledge and fostering a spirit of collaboration. His family often recalls Pratham’s learning camp as the turning point in his life—a brief yet impactful intervention that sparked lasting change.

Himanshu’s story highlights how the right support at the right time can make all the difference.