Sonmati Kumari dreams of becoming a teacher when she grows up. Every morning as she crosses the small Indian village of Habipur to go to school, she moves closer to her goal. She is one of 135 destitute children with hopes and dreams for the future who attend the village school that Karuna-Shechen established three years ago.
Sonmati and her brothers, Sanoj and Anuj
Last year there was no free school in or near her village and she had to walk to a private school. When the tuition fees suddenly rose from 150 rupees to 5000 rupees, her parents — a pedlar and a seasonal agricultural worker — could no longer afford it. Sadly, Sonmati had to drop-out of school, a reality faced by many Himalayan children.
Now, thanks to the Karuna-Shechen School, Sonmati can continue her studies.
Karuna-Shechen runs three small elementary schools nicknamed babua schools (the loving nickname for children in India).
Sarita Kumari is one of the teachers whom our team recruited and trained: “Without this school, the majority of the children in the village would not have access to education and would remain illiterate,” she says. “Private schools are far too expensive and the public school is very far away, and such poor quality that the children stop going.”
Sarita Kumari and her students
Karuna-Shechen’s schools are lively places for children to learn and actively participate in extra-curricular activities.
At the Karuna-Shechen School in the small village of Dema, we organize sports activities. Last year, we took students to Bodhgaya to see Alice in Wonderland — a first for the children, most of whom had never left their village!
“What I like best about this school is that I can learn while having fun,” says Sushma, a 12-year-old girl who had dropped out because the journey to public school was too long and dangerous.
Sushma was able to continue her studies with Karuna-Shechen. Now she is not only learning, but she is filled with hope for her future!
Thank you for your support of children like Sonmati and Sushma.
April 12 2021
Vocational training is central to our goal of empowering the poor in India. Started in 2014 with a few workshops, the initiative has quickly grown into a full-fledged program that is operating success...
March 26 2021
Among the numerous Hindu festivals, Holi stands out as the most vibrant. The festival of colours, as Holi is fondly called, is celebrated on March 28th this year. Though Holi in its truest form is all...
March 12 2021
In November 2020, Karuna launched a major call to action as part of our solidarity movement: Action For Karuna. More than 70 people got involved by organizing virtual or face-to-face events, and thank...
March 2 2021
“"Women are leaders at heart! They care, they nourish, they help. They give meaning and direction to life. We must support and integrate them whenever we can.” ~ Shalav Rana, director of operati...
February 16 2021
In 2016, members of Karuna-Shechen followed a seminar with Frédéric Laloux, author of Reinventing Organizations. Specialized in processes of People's Change, Frédéric accompanied the members of Ka...
