In the village of Vayalur, Tamil Nadu, life is defined by the water. Located where the river joins the Bay of Bengal, near the shadow of the Kalpakkam power plant, the local economy in the early 2000s relied heavily on the river. Most adults, including Jayaprasath’s father, worked as masons or gathered river sand for daily wages.

For children growing up here, the horizon was close. The local school only went up to the 8th grade. To study further meant traveling to a different village—a hurdle too high for most. As a result, the cycle of dropping out to join the daily wage workforce seemed inevitable.

But Jayaprasath and Govindarajan, friends since they were five years old, found a different path. Their story is a testament to the power of the REWARD Trust and Asha for Education, proving that talent is universal, even if opportunity is not.

The Spark in the Village

While most parents in Vayalur, including Jayaprasath’s and Govindarajan’s, had little to no formal schooling, there were glimmers of hope. Jayaprasath remembers attending evening tuition from 1st to 5th grade run by role models in the village—students of Kalavathi who were supported by the REWARD Trust. One of these tutors even became a lawyer, planting a seed in Jayaprasath’s mind that a different life was possible.

For Govindarajan, the early years were a mix of struggle and small mercies. He recalls a 3rd-grade teacher who took the time to teach them how to write their names in English—a rare occurrence in a system where teachers often gave students answers during exams just to ensure they passed.

Known for its famous Murugan temple, Vayalur is a village in Tamil Nadu

The “Diamond Student” and the Protective Cage

The turning point arrived in 2001. Kalavathi and Sridhar began visiting the village every Sunday morning. They weren’t just teaching; they were scouting.

They identified a group of promising students to take under their wing. This included Jayaprasath and Govindarajan, whom Kalavathi called her “Diamond Students” for their obedience and focus. The plan was radical: move these students out of the village and into a hostel setup in Kalavathi’s own home in the township for grades 9 through 12.

It was a “protective cage”—a space free from the pressures of village life. The results were life changing. When all three of these students scored top grades in the 10th grade, it made the front page of a local newspaper (Dhinamani). That headline caught the attention of Asha for Education in 2003, sparking a partnership that continues to this day.

Overcoming the Odds

The transition wasn’t easy. Moving to a rigorous high school exposed the gaps in their early education. In their first midterm, both boys struggled. Govindarajan failed English. He was saved by his class teacher, Ms. Uma, who gave him three grace marks to push him over the passing line. That act of encouragement was transformative; he never failed an exam again.

Financial hardship was a constant shadow. Govindarajan’s home life was incredibly difficult. His father struggled with alcoholism, and his mother often had to sell her jewelry just to pay school fees. They lived in a small hut, which remained Govindarajan’s home until the second year of his PhD. Tragically, his father passed away during his doctoral studies. Even while pursuing their Bachelor’s degrees, the two friends had to hustle. They worked part-time jobs as sweepers, earning just 20 rupees a day. It wasn’t until their Masters that they were told they could stop this manual labor and focus entirely on their studies.

Where They Are Now: A Global Impact

Today, the boys who worried about dropping out in the 8th grade are navigating the highest levels of global academia.

After earning his PhD in 2016, Jayaprasath’s career took him around the world.

• 2017: He moved to China for a two-year postdoc.
• 2019: He moved to Wales, UK, to work on 5G communication.
• Today: He is researching photonics and Terahertz communications in Leeds.

His personal life has also flourished. He met his wife, a Geology student, during his Masters. Unlike him, she came from a town and a government-employee family. She joined him in China and now works as a branch manager in the UK, where they are raising their 6-year-old child.

Professor Govindarajan’s climb has also been meteoric.

• During the final year of his Master’s degree, he successfully qualified the CSIR-NET examination for Lectureship, and in the following year, he went on to qualify for the UGC–Junior Research Fellowship (JRF). This achievement marked a significant milestone in his academic journey and played a crucial role in helping him overcome his financial challenges, allowing him to pursue research with renewed confidence and stability.
• He spent five years (2019–2024) as a postdoc and staff scientist in Okinawa, Japan.
• Today: He has returned to India, first working at NIT Trichy as a DST Inspire fellow and now serving as an Assistant Professor at NIT Warangal.

He is now a father to two-year-old twins and a six year old daughter, ensuring they will never face the insecurity he knew as a child.

Transforming Vayalur

Neither man has forgotten where they came from.

Jayaprasath co-founded a group called “Create Vayalur,” which successfully helped upgrade the local school to handle grades 10 through 12. Now, children don’t have to leave the village to finish their schooling. He notes a shift in the village: instead of resigning themselves to daily wage labor, many students are now pursuing diploma courses to become skilled workers.

Govindarajan is planning to collaborate with Kalavathi to visit schools and give talks on science. He remembers thinking as a child that construction work was the best job possible for him because the workers “seemed to enjoy themselves.” He wants to give today’s kids the exposure he lacked—to show them that becoming a scientist is a real, attainable dream.

Why We Need You

The REWARD Trust now recruits 80 to 90 teachers every year, passing knowledge from one generation to the next.

As Jayaprasath says, “In other educated surroundings, parents take an interest. In rural areas, there is a big lack. If we can provide this support, lots of kids can take a similar path.”

There are more “Diamond Students” waiting in Vayalur and villages like it. They have the talent; they just need the protective cage and the chance to fly.

Donate today to help us build the next generation of scientists, teachers, and changemakers.