From a family of daily-wagers, this student won both of UK’s top study abroad scholarships

NEW DELHI: When Vaibhav Sonone was in Class 8, he had stolen a book from his school library and was reported to the principal. After puzzling over why anyone would steal Ushakaal Hota Hota, a volume of Marathi ghazal by Suresh Bhat, and not money, the principal handed Sonone the keys to the school library.

That act of kindness at the government residential school Sonone attended till Class 12 stood him in good stead for years, helping him build the foundation that would ultimately see him winning prestigious scholarships to study in the UK. In 2023, Sonone won the Chevening Scholarship and Commonwealth Shared Scholarship, both funded by the United Kingdom government. Finally, he chose the Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue an MSc in environment and development at the University of Leeds.

From the historically-marginalised Scheduled Castes, Sonone was the first in his family to go to college. Other family members are construction workers, hailing from a small village in Washim district of Maharashtra. Sonone grew up in extreme poverty. “My father was the sole breadwinner making Rs 3,000-4,000 per month for a family of five,” he said.

Once back from his master’s abroad, he intends to work with marginalised communities in India. “Education is the only tool that can change situations because it is the only capital we have,” he said. For his study abroad application process, he was mentored by Eklavya Foundation’s Global Scholar Programme which assists students from marginalised backgrounds apply for overseas education and funding, including UK scholarships .

Crossing a river to reach school

Till Class 4, Sonone studied in a government primary school in the village. But for upper primary levels, he was shifted to another government school. This was 6 km away from his home and more troublingly, across a river.

“For two years, I had to cross the river which was mostly flooded due to heavy rainfall in my area. My education didn’t go too well for those years,” he said. He was again moved, this time to a residential government school, Shri Sakharam Maharaj Vidyalaya, run by Sahara Maharathi Sansthan. Here he found an environment conducive to learning and supportive teachers who left him free to range beyond the prescribed syllabus and curriculum.

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This is also where he was given the keys to the library and freedom to read whatever book he wanted. Over the next four years, he read widely and voraciously. “I read all sorts of books – rural literature, fiction, non-fiction and read every book that I could get hold of,” he said. He finished Class 10 with a 66% – he didn’t focus on the curriculum – was still a school topper.

Vaibhav Sonone addressing the children of Dhamanpani, Madhya Pradesh Encouraged by his performance, his parents pushed him to take the science stream in Class 11 but after two months, Sonone quietly slipped back into arts. This caused conflict in his family who were pacified only when he took the top rank in the district and second rank in the state in economics.

Fergusson College, Azim Premji University

After graduating from school, Sonone thought of doing what many youths from his background do – consider pursuing a BEd and a government job. “But my teachers showed me different ways and motivated me to aspire big,” he said. He sought admission in colleges in Pune, a major education hub in Maharashtra.

He landed in the city with just Rs 2,000 borrowed from another villager and no connections. When he arrived, only the first general list of admissions had been announced and he wasn’t on it. As he waited for the next list, he slept at bus stands and later, the railway station. Eventually, he got admission in BA Political Science at Fergusson College, one of the best in the country.

After staying at a distant aunt’s home for a few days, he moved into the college hostel. His mother had to sell jewellery to pay for it. Later, he borrowed money from professors to pay the mess and college fees. “I never felt shy to ask for help. But I also received help from many people,” said Sonone. Upon observing his hard work, a professor recommended him to the Vidyadaan Sahayyak Mandal, a non-profit organisation in Thane, Maharashtra. “After a few rounds of interview, I was selected for the scholarship which covered my hostel and mess fees,” he said.

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During these years, Sonone considered taking up part-time jobs several times. But his father advised against it. “He explained to me that many generations of our family have lived in poverty. But I had an opportunity to study and change this. But if I worked now, my studies would be hampered and the next generations will remain caught in the same cycle of poverty. I needed to focus on the larger goal,” recalled Sonone.

He graduated with 75% and distinction and secured admission in the Azim Premji University’s MA in Development programme. “My biggest supporters were my teachers. Despite not being fluent in English, my teachers still listened, and translated my words and opinions to others,” he said.

Later, he was placed in a project of Professional Assistance in Development Action (PRADAN) in Dhamanpani village of Mandala district, Madhya Pradesh. PRADAN is a non-profit that works with rural communities in central and eastern India.

Work in rural development

Within just two days of his stay in Dhamanpani in 2018, Sonone was beaten by villagers, provoked into violence by rumours of a kidney racket. After much effort, he was eventually accepted. “I was motivated by my parents and Padma Shri awardee couple, Ravindra Kolhe and Smita Kolhe, doctors and social activists who worked on the upliftment of tribal villages of Maharashtra,” he explained.

Sonone describes himself as a “mass leader”. Through PRADAN’s projects and his efforts, the village has become 75% self-sustainable over the last five years. “Earlier, the village population was extremely anaemic, had no proper water management or irrigation systems. 90% of the population migrated to the cities for work. Now, migration has decreased to 15% and only 8% people are anaemic. The village also has a proper water management system across all 12 months, which was a hassle five years ago where people had to walk 4-5 km with only one well in the village,” he said.

The project also ensured 100 days of earning to all households in the village through the implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with zero corruption and also increased representation of women in local administration, Sonone added.

Study abroad scholarships: Chevening, Commonwealth

After working for 10 months on applying to top UK universities, Sonone received offers from 18 universities and top study in UK scholarships “Leeds’ research and environment department have good collaborations with worlds’ best research institutes,” Sonone said, explaining why he picked the University of Leeds.

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“I have closely worked with marginalised communities and through the support of Eklavya Foundation’s mentors and my friends, I received the scholarship,” he added. Initially several mentors were allotted who reviewed his application essays for the Chevening Scholarship. “I had around 18 mock interviews with 11 reviews of my essays,” he said. Sonone received Commonwealth Shared scholarship for University of East Anglia and University of Leeds.

“For the Chevening Scholarship application, you have to write four different essays overall on leadership. People usually wonder what to write. However, focusing on one specific area helped me,” he stated.

“I aim to bring back the best of knowledge to villages and tribes of India and work with the marginalised communities after I return from the UK,” he stated. “While pursuing your dreams, you might get thousands of challenges and face discrimination based on caste, colour, creed and others, but eventually you need to focus on your goal.”