Sarada's Story

Through NetAid World Schoolhouse in partnership with STA Travel, a local development group in India is working to ensure children go to school and earn a basic education.

In the impoverished fishing villages of Andhra Pradesh, complex circumstances keep many young children like 10-year-old Sarada from earning an education. To meet basic day-to-day needs, Sarada's family requires a modest 50 Rupees—the equivalent of less than $1 a day. But, because her parents are considered too old to work, local factories will not hire them, leaving her family without an income.

Sarada's elder siblings cannot ease the situation for her parents or help her go to school. Although her brother is employed, he barely earns enough to provide for his own family of five. Married at the age of 16, Sarada's sister committed suicide within the first year of marriage. Her sudden and tragic death took an emotional toll on Sarada's parents.

The situation in the village also complicates her family's hardships. A devastating drought has left the population without food. Those who depend on agriculture for work have been without jobs for at least six months. Unable to work in the factories or the fields, Sarada's family had to borrow money from local lenders to survive and has incurred a debt of over 25,000 Rupees. Sarada tries to help her parents by working to pay off some of their debt.

Sarada's story is, unfortunately not an uncommon one in poor fishing villages in India. Fortunately, her story does not end with despair and her future offers more opportunity. Thanks to the efforts of NetAid World Schoolhouse partner, Sanghamitra Service Society, Sarada and thousands of children like her are enrolling in school and getting a quality education that will help the entire family.

Sanghamitra is working closely with parents, teachers, government officials and community leaders to establish a comprehensive and enduring communal effort around education. Their holistic approach to community development is helping families lift themselves out of poverty and increasing school enrollment and retention rates.

Learn more about NetAid World Schoolhouse's long-term work to promote education with Sanghamitra >>

Read about how Sanghamitra and NetAid teamed up to respond to the tsunami >>