“VIDYA is my freedom”
These heartfelt words, conveyed repeatedly and with complete sincerity, were expressed by the women at the MALI Foundation on Independence Day, August 15th, 2018. An invited participant in the celebrations, I was deeply touched by the depth of feeling and honesty in each of the women’s sentiments and it was in that moment that the true intent and significance of VIDYA’s impact became clear to me. My name is Kavya Ravishankar, and as a 16 year old living in Portland, Oregon, I was privileged to witness a stark difference in the standard of living and the resources taken for granted after I moved from Bangalore to the US in 2014, which lead to my involvement with VIDYA. From translating textbooks from English to Kannada, to helping teach English and Math at the local government schools, I have witnessed the substantial impact VIDYA has on the lives of the many people it serves by forging and maintaining meaningful relationships.