“My mom has always been under stress due to conservative traditions at home,” Kiran says of her mom, who cries today when she thinks of all that Kiran has achieved. “She could not take education or choose her partner on her own, and had to live life on other’s terms and conditions.”

Sick and struggling, with no family support, Kiran’s mom reached out to Holt's local partner in Pune, India for help keeping Kiran in school. Upon hearing her story, a couple overseas immediately stepped up to sponsor Kiran. They, too, would not stand for this bright-eyed spark of a girl to drop out of school, and for the next eight years, they sent support every month for her to continue her studies.

Throughout that time, Kiran regularly corresponded with them — sharing about her life and goals — and at 16 years old, Kiran had the rare opportunity to meet her sponsors in person when they took a family trip to India.

“I was happy to have them at my home and to meet my family,” says Kiran, who thanked them for helping her achieve the life she dreamed of.

“I told them it was only because of their support that I could take education,” she says.

This is an excerpt from a longer story that appeared in Holt's spring 2018 sponsorship magazine. Read the full story here!