My name is Sarbani, and I am a 19 years old student from Pondicherry, India. At 17, i left home with my older sister to pursue an independent life built on education and art. With no financial aid from my parents, my sister and I worked hard to fund my final years of high school, this experience and transition further shaped my appreciation for the community support i received during this period, fueling my ambition to pursue higher education.

I grew up within the unique spiritual and cultural fabric of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram and Auroville community, both of which shaped my love for literature, art and culture.

My father raised my sister and I on books , illustrating our imagination with the likes of Oscar Wilde, Roald Dalh, Anna Sewell, Enid Blyton and so many more. This foundation lay the path to my own later interest in the arts. My family, my teachers and my peers have deeply influenced this pursuit, not simply as a career but also for the pure joy of learning, a central aim in our communities and integral education. These early experiences have inspired me to explore writing and study it in university.

Today, my dream is to study Literature at a European University and become the first in my family to complete a higher education degree since my father. My sister sacrificed her own university path so that i could have this opportunity, and i want to make it count, not just for myself but for the both of us.

However, pursuing this dream abroad is expensive. I’m seeking to raise €25,000, which will cover the first year of tuition (5000 eu) and annual living expenses ( 12x 1500) as I apply to universities in France, Belgium, the Czech Republic (Prague), and the Netherlands.

This goal represents not just my education, but a bridge to a future where I can write and create, and give back the hope and inspiration I received from the people and places that have shaped me so fundamentally.

Any contribution no matter how small or big, will help me step closer towards my goals. Thank you for reading my story