Closing the education gap, one village at a time | Raju Kendre | TEDxPFH Goettingen

Quick Overview

Raju Kendre successfully bridged the gap between poverty and privilege by leveraging education, culminating in him securing the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to study at SOAS, University of London, and subsequently founding Eklavya India Foundation to empower thousands of other first-generation students from marginalized communities in India.

Key Points: Raju Kendre, originating from a historically marginalized Dalit community in rural Central India, faced severe poverty and discrimination where education was a privilege he had to fight for. Despite his parents lacking formal schooling, Kendre achieved an early dream of becoming an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and subsequently pursued a Master's degree in Social Work at TISS and later studied at Columbia University (UK) and Harvard University. Kendre founded the Ek-Laven-De India Foundation to democratize access to quality higher education, which has since helped over 500 students secure admission to premier institutions like IITs and secure over $14 million in scholarships. The narrative highlights the systemic exclusion faced by marginalized communities, where caste and social status historically dictated opportunities, contrasting sharply with the meritocratic potential of education. Kendre's success—achieving an IAS officer role and receiving numerous awards like the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list—serves as a testament to the transformative power of education. The foundation's mission is to empower marginalized communities by promoting equitable leadership and social mobility through education, combating systemic barriers.

Context: Raju Kendre shares his personal journey from extreme poverty and discrimination as a Dalit in rural Central India to achieving significant academic and professional success, including winning the Chevening Scholarship to study in the UK. He emphasizes how education served as the crucial tool to overcome systemic barriers like caste, poverty, and lack of opportunities, ultimately motivating him to establish the Ek-Laven-De India Foundation to replicate this success for others from similar backgrounds.