Exclusive: Siddhesh Lokare's 'Mission30303' to Raise Rupees 3 Cr for 30 Schools in 30 Days

It all starts with an idea, and an idea can change lives. That's exactly what Siddhesh Lokare, popularly known as Sidiously on Instagram, has set out to prove. On a mission to transform rural education, Siddhesh has launched #Mission30303 — an ambitious campaign to raise ₹3 crore in 30 days to uplift 30 underprivileged schools in Maharashtra.

We caught up with Siddhesh to learn more about his inspiring campaign. Here's an edited excerpt from our conversation.

What inspired you to start this “3 Cr in 30 days for 30 underdeveloped schools” campaign?

My deep research in rural education and looking at the data points showed that 22,000 plus schools are actually not doing well and are on the brink of collapse. And it's not just that; there are over one lakh schools in Maharashtra that are not provided with the right educational facilities. This became a concept and a topic of concern, and that's why I started it.

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A post shared by Siddhesh Lokare🙋🏻‍♂️ (@sidiously_)

What are the biggest challenges you foresee (or have already faced) in achieving this target?

The biggest challenge would be to somehow inculcate the idea of inviting and making creators and young people part of it, because I truly feel this is not a “cool” concept even as of now. So, my work is to make it as cool as possible so that youngsters can vibe with it. The toughest part is basically to convince youngsters and make them understand what we are actually trying to do.

What motivates you personally to do this work, especially under pressure of time and scale?

What motivates me is to always have the innate vision of taking one project to the next level, and that gives me true happiness and true satisfaction. That's why I'm going forward with it. I just love to set benchmarks for myself and for society so that we all can do 10%, 15%, or 20% of it.

How will this campaign directly improve the lives of students in these 30 schools?

Yes, this campaign is directly linked to improving the lives, educational facilities, and the ecosystem experience of kids, in order to pursue the right sense of education. It will help them get basic things like benches, notebooks, books, stationery, libraries, and more. That's why I feel it's going to directly impact them, their families, and also the generations coming after them.

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A post shared by Siddhesh Lokare🙋🏻‍♂️ (@sidiously_)

For someone else wanting to start something similar, what advice would you give?

My advice to someone who wants to start something like this is to numb yourself from emotions, from downfalls, or even wins so that they don't move you or make you feel very vulnerable to the feelings, insecurities, and unprivileged behaviour of the people you stumble upon. Because if their emotions, sensitivities, and vulnerabilities start impacting you, then it's going to be a huge problem.