Friends,

In March, I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to India. While I was there, I met with the incredible Local Heroes changing the world one child at a time at Bal Ashram Trust.

Bal Ashram Trust was established in Rajasthan as a long-term rehabilitation and training center for children rescued from trafficking and forced labor. The team has rehabilitated over a thousand children, providing them physical, emotional, social and medical support.

They also prevent exploitation of children at the grassroots level through awareness campaigns that have reached over 200,000 lives. Bal Ashram Trust has helped many thousands more exploited and marginalized youth by providing informal & formal education, vocational skill training, and more. 

GO Campaign ensured the children in the five Banjara communities surrounding Bal Ashram were educated by constructing classrooms, paying teacher salaries, and providing clothes, shoes and bags for students.

The students at Bal Ashram still need our support to continue their education without any challenge and grow in a thriving environment.

During my visit, I learned of the urgent need to continue providing education to first-generation Banjara learners. They are currently building 8 new schools to reach Banjara youth and and for children who are survivors of child labour, child marriage and trafficking. Every single day the temperature is rising, the continuous heat waves, and unexpected rains make it difficult for children to continue their studies under makeshift shelters in this scorching heat without a proper classroom and toilets. With no concrete toilet facilities, girls are facing hygiene issues, and some of the children especially girls also drop out due to no proper educational learning opportunities. Each of the schools built will include bathrooms for all students, eliminating this barrier to their education.

I am hoping with your support, we can raise the funds to build just one school, and will match the first $1,000 donated!