The inspiring life of 22-year-old Jayavel - From begging on the streets of Chennai to studying at Cambridge University

From begging on the streets of Chennai, a 22-year-old boy Jayavel has taken off to study at the prestigious Cambridge University.

Back in the 1980s, Jayavel’s family was forced to move to Chennai from Nellore after a failed crop season. With no source for earning a livelihood, the family had took to the begging on the streets.

He was very young when he lost his father, and soon his mother turned into an alcohol addict. All his earnings would go into his mother’s addiction.

“We used to sleep on one such pavement. If it would rain, we would try to find other shelter in any nearby shop until the cops came and chased us out of there,” says Jayavel.

Life was hell for this boy who roamed on the streets wearing just a shirt, until good samaritan Uma Muthuraman and her husband met him one day. The couple runs an NGO, Suyam Charitable Trust. They wanted to make a documentary on Chennai’s street kids named “Pavement Flower.” As a part of this endeavour, they travelled to Kilpauk water tank area where they spotted Jayavel and in the year 1999, Uma succeeded in taking him under her care and offered him proper education.

“Everyone in the school knew about me and my family. As we used to live right on the corner of the school on the pavement but that didn’t make any difference to me. Though I hated to study in the beginning and only wished to play, my attitude changed as I began to see the difference in life of other people and mine and how Uma and Muthuraman were struggling to educate me,” explained Jayavel.

His hard work eventually fetched him stunning results in 12th grade, and even attracted donors to fund his higher education. Completely determined to make his life again, Jayavel took his caretakers by utter surprise when he cleared Cambridge University’s entrance examination and got a seat in Glendwr University, Wales, United Kingdom.

He got admission in 'Performance Car Enhancement Technology Engineering', which deals in enhancing performance of cars and he is now headed to Italy for his further education.

From the dirty streets to a place not many are fortunate to go, Jayavel emerged a true inspiration for one and all.