Three months ago, I joined ZealGrit Foundation, a grassroots organisation based in Supaul, Bihar. We work on addressing malnutrition in communities whose issues rarely appear in headlines or online. Since then, I have spent more time unlearning than learning. I have discovered that some lessons only come when you sit with the communities, listen and absorb like a sponge, and notice what the books never mention. Here are three lessons I carry with me every day.

A traditional fire, fueled by cow dung, burned steadily in the courtyard; a local ritual believed to protect newborns from infections and the evil eye (nazar). Communities across the country have long practised such customs to protect infants. But this brings us to a deeper, often unspoken question: Who protects the mother? Take Poonam’s household, for example. We met her when she was seven months pregnant with her second child. In the beginning, she remained quiet during our

Eight months ago, ZealGrit decided to step into Supaul, where data speaks of a grim reality. 69.4% of children aged 6-59 months were anaemic, and 42.9% of children under five were stunted. But beyond the statistics, we saw stories of silent battles, of mothers trying to raise their children with little to no support. If we wanted to improve maternal and child health outcomes, we had to start from the very beginning—from conception to the first two years of life.

Supaul, where we operate, presents concerning health indicators. According to the National Family Health Survey-5 data (2019-20), over 50% of pregnant women and 60% of children aged 6-59 months are anaemic, while nearly half of all children under five are wasted or underweight. These numbers made it clear that intervention was necessary. But numbers alone never tell the whole story. To really understand the need, we had to get up close. With that in mind, we created our to-do

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

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.