Our history.

A personal account by founder Jean Hunt.

How It Began
Like many people at a certain stage of life, I began to examine my core values. What could I do with my time here? Was there something that would really make a difference?

After much research, I opted to volunteer for a small nongovernmental organization (“NGO”) outside of Jaipur, India – a city in the state of Rajasthan, about a six-hour train ride southwest of Delhi. The program involved working for several weeks with girls and women in an outlying village to increase literacy skills.

Upon arrival at the Jaipur train station, I sought the official state-run taxi stand amongst a sea of merchants and tuk tuks (three-wheel vehicles popular in many developing countries). Amid the commotion, a voice behind me offered to direct me to the official tuk tuk stand. I turned to find a middle-aged man with a welcoming expression. His name was Kahn. Little did we know that both of our lives were about to change because of that brief encounter.

Throughout my time at the NGO, Kahn drove me for local errands. Though illiterate, he had taught himself spoken English and some French, and so we were able to communicate with ease. During our daily discussions, he spoke of his family: Kahn had been able to periodically send his sons to school (sometimes having to decide between food and tuition) and had even been able to enroll his daughter for several years when he had a little extra money.

An Opportunity to Do More
It became apparent how life changing it would be to help with their tuition, and staggering to think how a relatively small amount of money could transform these lives. While the NGO I worked for had taken a step in this direction, I saw the increased value of enrolling students in an official education program through completion. I offered to financially support tuition for Kahn’s three children, and soon committed an additional two families.

Returning a year later with my friend, Robin Gurin, we saw enthusiam and progress among the children we had enrolled. We connected with a retired educator named Shveta Mehra, who agreed to monitor the children’s grades and attendance between my visits. By the end of our visit, we had enrolled and provided financial support for 31 children.

Where We Are Now
We have since added the talents of friends Jamie Leo, Moira Curtain, and Kelly Sabatino – and are now a certified 501(c)3 non-profit organization. The CrowdFunding drive of November 2016 marks our first formal fundraising event. All donations go towards tuition, books, school uniforms. Literacy can transform a life, and it is truly gratifying. If this message resonates with you, we would be grateful for any financial contribution, and children whom you support will be forever enriched.