Panaji: On the morning of one of the most important examinations of her life, 18-year-old Savita Lamani woke before dawn, completed her household chores, helped her mother at home, and then set out through the monsoon rain to appear for the highly competitive medical entrance examination, NEET, on Sunday.Her elder sister, who once shared the household responsibilities, was married just a month ago. With her father unable to work regularly after suffering a serious head injury, and her mother earning a living through scrap collection, much of the responsibility at home has fallen on Savita.Despite the challenges, she is pursuing her dream of becoming a dentist.“I had my first visit to a dentist in Cass XI and I became fascinated by everything they were doing. One day, after looking at my X-rays, the dentist told me I would make a perfect dentist. From then on, I wanted to become one,” she told TOI.Savita first came into contact with Goa Outreach, a Mapusa-based educational charity, when she was in the fifth standard.At the time, the organisation’s student intake was already full. But founder Robert Lyon remembers making space for another child in need.“She came to us through her sister,” Lyon said. “Even though we were full, we gave her school bags and books. Then we started helping her from sixth standard onwards.”Lyon, who has spent more than two decades in India and around 22 years in Goa, founded Goa Outreach to support vulnerable children through education and welfare assistance.This year, Goa Outreach is supporting 95 students, from primary school to college level.“The main focus is education,” Lyon said. “But we also help with medical needs and other essentials when required.”Students enrolled in the programme gather after school for meals, study sessions and tutoring. Older students often return to help younger ones.Savita is now one of those mentors. Having completed her higher secondary education, she spends part of her afternoons tutoring younger children at the centre. Her academic achievements have been impressive.In Class X, she emerged as one of the top-performing students at her school, alongside another Goa Outreach beneficiary, Anita Anigol, who dreams of becoming a heart surgeon and was appearing for NEET at another centre.According to Lyon, the two girls secured first and second place respectively in their school rankings.The family’s financial circumstances would have made higher education an uncertain prospect. Yet Savita remains focused on securing admission to Goa Dental College, her preferred destination.Whether she secures a place in dental school this year or after another attempt remains uncertain.What is certain is that the teenager who once came to a charity programme for books and school supplies has become a role model for younger students following in her footsteps.
