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…
An Aspiring Doctor
Ten years ago, World Vision India took into their sponsorship, among many others, a young Lisha studying in the first standard. Today, after ten years, she is the pride of her family and her school, having performed well in her…
Nursing to Self-reliance
Vinita was only 17 when her parents decided to get her married. She had always dreamed of attending college. Her parents did not share the same dream. Her mother never went to school and her father dropped out in the…
Children Use Art to Express Themselves
As a child, drawing forms an important component in development, not only to fine tune motor skills but it also increases the cognitive process. Drawing should not be limited to being a hobby of few. Children must be actively encouraged to draw because…
A fillip to her dreams
Muskaan is nine years old, chirpy and fun-loving. She comes from a poor and vulnerable family in an urban slum in Jaipur. Her three elder siblings had to drop out of school in the fifth grade, but Muskaan is determined…