13
February
A medical graduate’s journey from poverty to stability
Some stories show what hardship looks like.
Mehakpreet’s story shows what resilience can become — when Sangat stands with a child for years, not weeks.
Mehakpreet faced unimaginable loss at a young age. She lost her father to a heart attack, her mother to cancer, and the grandfather who was trying to support the family by selling clothes from a bicycle was tragically killed. After that, Mehakpreet and her brother were raised by their grandmother — whom Mehakpreet lovingly calls “Mumma.”
For a long time, their home survived on a very small monthly income. Even basic needs were uncertain. But inside that struggle, Mehakpreet carried a dream that refused to disappear: she wanted to become a doctor. As a child, she even kept a medical chart in her room — the kind you see in clinics — as a quiet reminder of where she hoped to go.
The turning point: Sponsorship in Grade 8
Mehakpreet entered SAF International’s Education Sponsorship Program on December 25, 2015, while she was in Grade 8. That support helped ensure her education could continue when life at home had every reason to pull her out of school.
And that’s one of the most overlooked truths about sponsorship: it doesn’t just “help a child study.” It protects continuity — the ability to keep going year after year, even when life is unstable.
From education to employment
Mehakpreet completed her 10+2 (Medical) and later earned her BSc in Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) with First Division. Today, she works as a Lab Technician at Shri Guru Ramdas Institute of Medical Sciences and Research — the same institution where she completed her bachelor’s degree.
This is where the impact becomes bigger than one student.
Earlier, the household depended on her grandmother’s income alone. Now Mehakpreet contributes directly to household stability, covering day-to-day needs and helping her family breathe again. Sponsorship didn’t only change a report card — it changed the future of an entire family.
Mehakpreet shared that she used to doubt herself in almost everything. But through education, meeting people, and working professionally each day, her confidence grew. She developed stronger communication skills through the private school she was enrolled-in and began seeing herself not through the lens of hardship, but through the lens of capability.
That emotional shift matters. Because once a child begins to believe “Yex, I can,” the future opens up.
Still dreaming: the title “Dr.”
Mehakpreet’s dream has always been to become a doctor. She knew MBBS and Nursing were financially out of reach, but she refused to let the dream die. She is now pursuing an MSc in Microbiology (correspondence) and plans to continue toward a PhD — so she can one day earn the title “Dr.” before her name.
For her, it’s not about status.
It’s about honouring the struggle she came from — and proving what was possible despite it.
A journey I’ve seen with my own eyes
I have visited Mehakpreet a couple of times over the years, and I’ve seen her growth up close — not just academically, but emotionally and professionally.
“When we first met Mehakpreet, her future was uncertain. Today, she stands as a trained medical professional, supporting her family with dignity. This is what long-term sponsorship does — it transforms vulnerability into stability, and it rewrites the future of an entire household.”
Shamandeep Singh, CEO, SAF International
Sponsorship works — and research backs it too
A longitudinal study published in the Journal of Political Economy by economists Bruce Wydick, Paul Glewwe, and Laine Rutledge found that sponsored children completed significantly more years of education and were more likely to obtain white-collar employment as adults compared to similar non-sponsored peers.
Mehakpreet’s journey reflects what both experience and research show: sustained educational support creates lasting transformation.
Why this story matters for our Sangat
This is what your support can do when it stays consistent:
- Keep a child in school through crisis
- Help them complete higher education
- Create a first-generation professional
- Stabilize and uplift the whole household
- Inspire the sponsored child to one day help someone else
Mehakpreet’s journey is rare — and it is precious. It is also a reminder of what Sikh seva can build when it is steady, thoughtful, and long-term.
If you are considering child sponsorship, know this: you may be supporting one student — but you could be transforming an entire family’s future.
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