Farmer's Son and Student of Kalorex Run Visamo Kids Foundation Cracks JEE-Advanced 2020

All it takes is an opportunity for a stone to shine into a diamond and that is exactly what 18-year-old Vijay Makwana has proven. Son of a farmer from Navi Akhol village in Khambhat taluka of Anand district, Vijay is the first student from Ahmedabad-based Visamo Kids Foundation, to crack the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced. The results for the examination were announced on Monday.

Vijay Makwana in the centre with his parents

Vijay, whose education was supported by Kalorex Group run social initiative, Visamo Kids Foundation, won laurels for the institution by securing All India Rank (AIR) of 1,849 in the Scheduled Caste (SC) Category.

A computer engineering aspirant, Vijay wishes to secure his admission in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur or Roorkee.

"I am thankful for the support and opportunities I got because of Visamo Kids Foundation, which helped me get the best of education and helped me pursue my dreams," said Vijay. He completed his schooling from Eklavya School till Class X and from Kameshwar School - Class XI and XII. Vijay fetched a 50% fee scholarship from the private coaching institute where he trained for the competitive examination.

"Vijay was very focussed since the beginning in his studies. Amid the humdrum of hostel life, he would make time for his studies and also participate in co-curricular activities at the home. An ardent fan of cricket, Vijay loved spending his leisure at the shelter home by reading suspense thrillers, playing cricket and listening to music," adds Ms. Ami Shah, the Boarding In-charge and Students coordinator, associated with the home, since the beginning.

Visamo Kids Foundation, founded under the able mentorship of edupreneur Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff, is a shelter home in Ahmedabad that houses at least 100 underprivileged kids right from the age of five, enabling their access to quality education in partnership with the finest English Medium schools in the city. These kids stay at Visamo and complete schooling from Class I till Class XII, attending schools under CBSE, ICSE and GSEB.

"Vijay has not just brought in great joy and pride to our institution but also reaffirmed our vision and efforts towards making the best quality education available to children from underprivileged backgrounds in a wholesome environment. Students like Vijay prove that the right opportunities in education will not just hone their skills, but also enable them to realize and channelize their true potential and shape their own future," said Ms. Sudeshna Bhojia, Administrator, Visamo Kids Foundation.

"Vijay's achievement is not just a feat for him and the institution but also a dream come true for Dr. Manjula Pooja Shroff, MD & CEO of Kalorex Group. It is due to her vision, compassion and perseverance since 2001-02 that hundreds of students from underprivileged families got access to (change to get) education which is their fundamental right and achieve excellence. Her dedicated efforts towards the cause also brought in support from various schools in Ahmedabad that helped realise the true mission of the institution," Ms. Bhojia further went on to say.

Over the past 18 years since its inception, Visamo Kids Foundation supports education of children till higher secondary level. It forges collaborations to support the students' aspiration for higher education. In the past, students of the institution have succeeded in various spheres of their life by securing admission in premiere institutions of the country and also excelling in the field of sports and other extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.