When Binu Verma and Ramesh Balasundaram were courting over a decade ago, both corporate professionals discovered their shared passion for developing solutions that would have an impact at the grassroots level. In 2009, the year that they got married, they also bid adieu to their cushy jobs to set up Bal Utsav, with the mission to empower children and have them work towards a better future. It was not a spur-of-the-moment plunge, but rather a well-thought-out move after a careful study of the school education space in India.
Over the years, they developed many unique programmes for children to learn key concepts, and created ‘bridge schools’ for children who were forced to drop out of school due to difficult circumstances. Gradually, with a mission to make a larger difference, they started adopting government schools in Karnataka to bring about a holistic reformation in over 200 schools.
Over the period of transformation, they decided to set up a disaster response programme called Operation Dayitva (responsibility) to respond to children and families affected by disasters. The team was able to respond to the 2015 Nepal earthquake, the 2015 floods in Chennai and Cuddalore, the 2018 floods in Kerala, and the 2019 floods in Karnataka and Kerala. In fact, the crisis response and management framework developed by Bal Utsav is today used by various organisations nationally.
Bu hikaye Femina dergisinin August 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Femina dergisinin August 2021 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Beauty Quick Fixes You Need To Know
Have a beauty emergency and need an instant solution? Karen Alfonso has a handy guide
10 Reasons Why Seychelles Could Be Your Dream Destination
Seychelles hits all the high notes on the romance roster whether you're on honeymoon or a love break.
THE GOODNESS OF GHEE
What: The Pure Cow Ghee range for babies with sensitive skin from Himalaya Babycare
Hello Hyderabad!
The Kaftan Company makes its debut in Hyderabad with a physical store
A COSMIC CULINARY JOURNEY
Located in the vibrant heart of Kolkata, That Place Bowl & Bar aims to be something out of the ordinary
BIG ON THE SCREEN
Writer-director INDIRA DHAR is no newcomer to international film festivals, but a standing ovation at Cannes for her latest film was an unforgettable experience. She talks to Shraddha Kamdar about the inspiration, her love for films and more
COMMAND RESPECT EFFORTLESSLY
Try these strategies if you hate not being taken seriously.
FIND CALM IN CHAOS
Deal with difficult situations using the principles of stoicism.
GREENER IN THE CUP
Samiksha Bhowmik details why a cup of matcha needs to be part of your diet
THE BEST OF TWO VIBRANT WORLDS
LYLA, in Mumbai's BKC, seamlessly blends Central American vibrancy with Californian flair