Ranjan
Ranjan says when he was a child he was keen to study but because of poverty his family was unable to provide him with a proper education. One day, he was wandering near the Mahabodhi temple when he met Jürgen Früchtl, a Viennese man who was on a three month trip through Sri Lanka and India. Subsequently Mr Früchtl fully funded his education in a private college and then higher study in Delhi over several years. Because of this education Ranjan was able to develop his own tour business and become a tour leader. Education literally changed his life. That is why he started the Gyanjyoty Rural Development Welfare Trust, to provide a better future for children who were unable to receive an education because of poverty or family circumstances.

Jürgen Früchtl
According to Jürgen’s diary notes, he met Ranjan in 2004, when the latter was about 14-15 years old and had already completed primary school. Jürgen was on his way from the Mahabodhi Temple to the Bhutan Monastery when Ranjan and one of his friends asked if he would like to visit their school in Sujata. The school consisted of five or six classrooms for 150 to 200 students. Jürgen met the principal, a teacher and a manager of the school. Jürgen says “as always with such conversations, the aim was to donate a small amount”. Ranjan gave him a quick tour of the village and took him for tea at his home. Jürgen was planning to visit Rajgir and Nalanda two days later and when Ranjan asked to accompany him he took him along. During the journey, which took a few hours, they talked about his school education and its future.

After their return Jürgen came to an agreement with one of the teachers to financially support Ranjan’s further education, initially at a private college in Gaya. The teacher was a doctor who taught part time at the school and who agreed to act as a middleman. For the next few years Jürgen and Ranjan kept in touch by email while Jürgen communicated with his former teacher by old-fashioned letter.

In 2008 the question arose as to whether Jürgen would support Ranjan’s study at a university. Jürgen had planned to travel to India again and they met in Varanasi. They looked at the university there together, but Jürgen says he couldn't contribute much. To get a comparison, they paid a visit to the Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. After some discussions about pros and cons, they chose that university. Unfortunately Ranjan was not eligible for a scholarship.

Jürgen remembers how difficult it was for Ranjan, who grew up in small village, for the first few months in New Delhi, a big city with smog, strange customs and strange food, far removed from family and friends. But he managed it very well. After a year, Ranjan got an offer to further his studies at the Chia University in Taiwan, which of course cost a lot more. He studied Chinese there for three years. Fortunately Jürgen was able to fund the admission fees and living costs at both universities.

Jürgen is pleased they have maintained their contact over the years and whenever he visits Bodhgaya they meet up again. He is happy too that Ranjan's son is also a good hardworking student. He is very happy Ranjan tries to give others the opportunity he was given.

Jürgen writes there was no rational reason why he decided to support Ranjan at first. Of course, the conversations with him and his teachers were helpful and the doctor teacher gave him confidence the money would be wisely spent. Subsequently Ranjan’s successes at private college and then the two universities encouraged him to continue his financial support. As far as he can tell now, it was a good thing to do.