Arhan is fondly referred to as ‘Arhan Dada’ by some students from remote villages in Raigad and Pune, not just because he is older than most of them, instead it is due to the fact he is making a huge difference in their lives.
Philanthropy is not just about money. It is about feeling the pain of others and caring enough to help them.”
Timothy Pina
Arhan‘s story filled with inspiration
Arhan is just 15-years old!! He is a boy of Indian origin, who lives in Hong Kong and studies at a boarding school in the United States. Since his childhood, Arhan’s family has been involved in charity with CASP (Community Aid and Sponsorship Programme), an NGO in Pune, India. It was the summer of 2019 when young Arhan visited India during his vacations, to see firsthand how CASP functions.
He visited a village school and was stirred up to see there was just one computer for the entire village. He also noticed that despite the lack of resources, the students there never lacked enthusiasm and the confidence to learn. This in turn inspired Arhan to do something for them.
In the beginning, he taught them English but soon realized that the impact was not enough. He knew the students needed professional & technological assistance to supplement their education. Project AppVidya is an initiative by Arhan Chhabra that provides digital-learning tools to not-so-advantaged students, particularly for students in remote locations.
AppVidya Meets BYJU’S
At first, he wanted to start a fundraiser to hire professional tutors, but it was not a viable option. The village lacked a stable Wi-Fi connection, therefore online classes was also out of the question. Arhan thought of mobile tablets to be a suitable solution. As he was researching for options, he heard of BYJU’s The Learning App, he was convinced that it was THE SOLUTION.
As a result, he joined hands with BYJU’S, the world’s largest EdTech. He took a demo of their products and learnt how they provided pre-loaded lessons in a tablet that does not require Wi-Fi/internet, and was impressed by the fact that they provided immersive and interactive content for the state board curriculum.
Soon he walked into the classroom holding a bag full of BYJU’S tablets and distributed them among students. Students from difficult socioeconomic backgrounds who had no access to world-class learning content, now had the chance to learn from the best teachers EdTech has to offer, all thanks to AppVidya (Arhan) and BYJU’S.
Much like Arhan, BYJU’S also has an initiative (BYJU’S Education for All) is on a mission to empower 5 million children from underserved communities by 2025.
We wish both Arhan and BYJU’S great success in their noble initiatives. BYJU’S Education-for-All as an initiative welcomes individuals and not-for profit organisations like AppVidya to join them in the mission to make quality education for millions of children. Visit BYJU’s Education for All to see how you can join this noble cause.
