“Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much” – Hellen Keller

In spite of living in the 21st century and being a developing nation, the rural towns of India continue to grapple with social issues that need to be addressed for the greater good of society.

According to reports, every fourth Indian child is married off before 18 years of age, while 28% of boys and 32% of girls drop out of school without even completing a basic secondary education.

In the hope of bringing about a small change, if not in the numbers, at least in the mindsets of parents, our Project Anando and Project Anando Plus students, together, hosted a Social Awareness Programme in January 2019. The event was held at Light of Life Trust’s Gevari Bazaar Centre, within the district of Jalna, Aurangabad where we spoke about social issues including the benefits of higher education, the perils of child marriage, the need for gender equality and doing away with superstitious beliefs that still rule over our minds. These might seem redundant to us but are still given prime importance in smaller towns and villages.

We, at the Light of Life Trust believe that educating individuals rather than forcing belief upon society can bring about a holistic change in their thought processes. We were delighted to see the turnout of parents and children, who joined us at the event to understand the need for social growth and how change could begin at home.

Teachers and students of both, Anando and Anando Plus, also enacted street plays revolving around superstitions, equality and more, which were a fun, educational experience for the audience, as well as our students, who participated with utmost enthusiasm.

Social awareness programmes have always been an integral element of Project Anando, along with helping students hone their skills and stand on their own feet, so as to break the generational poverty cycle. We intend to stress on local and global matters and discuss pertinent social issues with families, friends and other members of the community too.

While going around towns to spread awareness, we are often surprised and overwhelmed by the response, which simply goes to speak that a majority of society, even if uneducated, understands the need for immediate change and is willing to work towards it.

The event held in Jalna was just one of many. Together, with Light of Life Trust’s well-wishers, staff, and most importantly our students, we hope to bring about a change today, no matter how big or small, for a better tomorrow.