Every child dreams of a place where learning feels safe and full of hope. But for the children of Mehekari village in Ahmednagar, this simple dream often slipped away with every rainfall. With no classroom to call their own, they gathered on damp balconies, their voices competing with the sound of thunder and their books soaked with the monsoon air.

The fear of not understanding a single word can silence a child’s confidence long before they speak. In many rural classrooms, this quiet struggle is common, and English often becomes the biggest barrier. This was the reality for Ayush Anil Gaikwad, a young Grade 4 student from Pimpalgaon Ujjaini. He found certain subjects overwhelming,

Losing a father often means losing a part of childhood, and for 15-year-old Zubair Raza from Kolkata, it meant losing stability, comfort, and hope. After his father’s death, Zubair and his family were left in deep poverty, confined to a single-room home and dependent on his elder brother’s small income. School faded into the background as survival took over.