“After my father’s suicide, I felt shattered and hopeless.

My family’s future seemed  bleek ”

This could have been the end of Arti’s story but it became the beginning of a valiant struggle against her circumstances and a display of grit which lead her to her new found path of attaining education. 15 year old Arti currently lives with her mother and two siblings in Neemrana, Rajasthan. Arti’s struggles began when her father, unable to cope with debilitating poverty and mounting debts, committed suicide in a drunken stupor, leaving behind her mother and three young children. Without her father’s financial assistance, family struggled to put two square meals on the table.
Arti’s desire to study and educate herself was buried under the weight of her dismal circumstances until one day in 2009 when Humana People to People India’s (HPPI) team of Academy for Working Children (AWC), Neemrana visited her house and found her family in deep distress. They counseled the family on benefits of quality education and the promising future that lay in-store for them if they diligently pursued educational prowess. Arti’s mother accepted this opportunity with deep gratitude and committed to sending all her children to school. Arti joined academy for working children in 3rd grade and has successfully moved on till grade 8th while her younger brother and sister study in 3rd grade and LKG respectively. AWC offered her an opportunity to continue working to support her family and also pursue her education without any fee or monetary burden. HPPI also financially empowered Arti’s mother who now works in catering industry and likes her economic independence and the ability to support her family. After 5 years of association with Humana People to People India, Arti has transformed from a meek girl facing abysmal financial ruin to a confident young woman who dreams of completing her studies and acquiring a job that helps her family move out of the slum and forge ahead in life.

“Restoring my faith and hope in my own future, has been the biggest gift of Humana People to People India”-Arti