21/08/2026
The photo is a little throwback from 2019’ the year it all began. ❤️
Opening a school for children who struggle to learn, children who may not feel safe, understood or included in a mainstream school
it was truly a huge step as a mother.
I knew starting a school would mean much more than classrooms, timetables and lesson plans. It would mean 24/7 commitment late nights planning and worrying, early mornings fixing things, making learning happen, finding ways to bring results, understanding parents’ fears and emotions, educating families, challenging social stigma, finding the right people and building a team that could carry the dream forward.
There were countless late nights, endless conversations, difficult decisions, moments of doubt and days when I wondered, “Are we really going to be able to make this happen?”
And yet, every morning, we showed up again.
Because somewhere along the way, Shridha stopped being just a school. It became a promise, a promise that children who struggle should still have a place where they feel safe, understood, respected and capable. ❤️
And ohh… what a journey it has been.
Today, as we step into our 8th academic session, my heart is filled with gratitude.
Especially for my brother Nivesh Barjatya the one person who could look deep down and understand why I always wanted to create a safe space for children. You understood the dream even when I couldn’t always explain it. ❤️
And to The Gateway Community | Keshavlal V. Bodani Education Foundation The Gateway School of Mumbai thank you for believing, guiding and supporting us. So much of what Shridha has become would not have been possible without you.
From a mother’s dream in 2019 to eight academic sessions of learning, unlearning, late nights, hard work, tears, laughter, beautiful chaos and countless little victories…
Ohh, what a journey. ❤️
Happy Birthday, Shridha. 🎂🥳
8 years later, the dream is still alive and bigger than ever. ✨