Chorkhal High School is perched on a mountain peak overlooking villages and forests on all sides. This is the only school for the cluster of 4-5 villages in the vicinity. Sisters Himanshu, 16, and Samiya, 11, walk a daunting 45-minute…
Reviving lost dreams
19-year-old Aishwarya always had it rough. Her father passed away in the year 2007. Her mother had to toil to provide for the family. Unfortunately, she also succumbed to cancer in 2018. Losing parents at an age where you are still dependent…
Making train travel safer in Mumbai
It is seven in the evening. A crowded local train pulls up at a busy station in Mumbai. Several people get down, but an equal number (if not more) get in. As the train begins to depart, a man runs…
Overcoming Poverty with a Little Help
Himnakulhpui, aged 14, and his sister Lalraupuii walk home with buckets of water and empty it in a tank just outside the house. It is still early in the morning and their mother Lalbiaki prepares breakfast for the family of…
Education – the road to a better life
Khushboo stands at the doorway of a 50-year-old mud house built by her grandfather, her hands full of medals and trophies she has collected over the years. The three-room house is dimly lit with no windows and the only place…
Bestowed a Second Chance
For forty-year-old Sarita, falling asleep with hunger bouts is the smallest sacrifice she has made to ensure her children go to school and lay the foundation to a bright future. Sometimes, she stays awake whole nights and makes footballs or…
Addressing Indoor Pollution and Climate Change with Fuel-Efficient Cook Stoves
In 12 villages at Lalitpur District of Uttar Pradesh, fuel-efficient cook stove has found its way into the heart of 1200 homes. This is a major shift from the traditional Chulha that consumes piles of wood and is the most common cooking apparatus in rural homes of India. This could have profound impact in tackling deforestation and solving indoor air pollution in this part of the Bundhelkhand region, an area with a long history of drought. Rajkumari (36),…
Stemming the tide of illiteracy – A way out for rag-picking children
18-year-old Sonam looks much older than her age. Her childish giggles that she tries so hard to hide are the only vestiges of her remaining childhood. Struggle was all that Sonam knew as she grew up. At the age of…
Education – A Place for Equals
Seated on a mat under the shade of a neem tree, Saiba, 11, tosses a red dice in the air and waits for it to land. She cringes when her token lands on a picture of a snake. She passes…
Uncaged and Soaring High
Walking through the streets of this small city in India, one cannot help but notice little hands picking rags, fixing screws, sharpening metal, selling utensils and many other things. It is hard to fathom children working over twelve hours, doing…