Imagine walking into a classroom buzzing with excitement. The students are eager for the session, their faces lighting up as they greet you. You start with a simple question from the previous discussion, and immediately, hands shoot up to answer. These moments, where even the shyest students are beginning to speak up and engage, are not just moments of pride—they're filled with hope and optimism for the potential of meaningful change.

Remember the iconic struggle in "Toilet-Ek Prem Katha," where Keshav (Akshay Kumar) fights against age-old traditions to build a toilet for his wife? Let me take you through a similar basic yet eye-opening journey unfolding in Supaul, Bihar—a tale that challenges our perception of basic necessities. Imagine moving to a place where the sight of families using an open field as their bathroom is a daily reality.

When we hear the word "breastfeeding," we often picture a mother feeding her baby with a smile on her face. But doesn’t this picture seem incomplete? How about a mother nursing her baby while the father prepares food for her, both sharing a smile? How beautiful would that be! A family picture of mutual support.

“God could not be everywhere, so he made mothers” deeply resonates with our story today. Every heartbeat carries stories of love, strength, and resilience. A mother sacrifices everything for her child, experiencing every step of pregnancy over nine months. However, for rural mothers from the Dalit communities in Bihar, these sacrifices are compounded by significant challenges. Recently, I met Sita Devi (name changed), 30, pregnant with her fourth child.

Weight loss wasn’t a random decision but a choice that I made after enduring all those years of hurtful judgements and bullying. The people’s unkind statements and indifferent looks pushed me to focus on my inner strength and become a new person. I reflect and realise that life is an intricate web of moments, hardships, and victories, where each thread carries an individual story. One such story is my weight-loss journey.

That day, the sky was a tapestry of clouds, no sunlight, just a cool breeze mirroring my emotions—what a day for a field visit. As I stepped into the Dalit Tola community in Triveniganj, Bihar, I was swept up in a whirlwind of emotions and sensations. It was my first community visit. Two years ago, when I began my journey in the development sector, I was sure I wasn’t cut out for fieldwork. I believed there was nothing new to learn from visiting the field that wasn’t already

Do you ever miss the comfort of home-cooked meals when you’re travelling, but then find yourself craving street food like spicy chaat when you’re back home? If you are the kind of person who enjoys a delicious meal so much that you overindulge and ignore the feeling of being too full, then this is for you! This story dives into the joys and struggles of our ever-changing food desires, and yes, I will be sharing some consequences of my cravings as well at the end!

In the busy world of hostel life, quick and easy snacks often win over healthy, wholesome meals. Whenever I felt hungry, I would grab a packet of Maggi, a bag of chips or cream biscuits, accompanied by milk tea, without thinking much about it. They tasted good and satisfied my hunger, so why not, correct? But soon enough, reality hit me hard. After a few months, my stomach started hurting, and pain became a constant companion, messing with my daily routine and even my studies

High blood pressure! Hypertension! Phrases we hear are tossed around so often that they lose their meaning. They were just another health buzzword to me until my uncle visited a family party. The man who used to be the life of the party, always ready to demolish a plate of food with gusto, seemed different. Here he was, with specially prepared meals and my cousin hovering nearby, gently reminding him about medication. It was a real wake-up call.

Growing up as a woman felt like navigating a rose garden with thorns you couldn't always see. During my teens, the first sign of trouble wasn't about not finding my crayons in the right place. It was more like a cryptic message – a stain on my pyjamas, an action I couldn't decode. By now, you must have guessed it! Yes, this is my story of growing up in Bihar's quaint village, Triveniganj. As a woman of that village, it wasn't less than an expedition into the wild.

This weekend, I watched Laapataa Ladies, a Bollywood comedy-drama. The film delves into the struggles of two women trapped by life circumstances dictated by the veil. It is a heart-warming story of women who didn't give up on life. One of them, Phool, decided that if she finds her way back home, she doesn't want to just remain dependent on someone else – she wants to be the one earning her livelihood.

Nearly one in two children in India faces the unsettling shadow of sexual abuse before reaching the age of 18, predominantly at the hands of their family members or individuals known to them. It's an alarming truth that thrusts the urgent need for adolescents to grasp the distinctions between good and bad touch and comprehend the significance of consent and bodily autonomy. My journey during a rural internship with ZealGrit in Supaul, Bihar, unearthed a stark reality at a gov

In India, a poignant reality unfolds for adolescent girls, revealing a significant lack of understanding and support for their reproductive and sexual health. My recent visit to a government high school brought this starkly to light, exposing the silent battles of teenage girls, struggles that linger unnoticed and unattended. Questions like: “How often should I change sanitary napkins?”How can I handle debilitating period pain that keeps me out of school for days?”

I was born in a small village in Rajasthan, India, where drought, food shortages, and hunger were all too familiar. For seven long years, our village faced drought, teaching me how vital food and nutrition are for everyone's growth and well-being. These experiences shaped my education and career choices.