Summary
When seasonal migration forced Kalyani to leave her school in Akhasne village, her dreams of an education were put on hold. After losing her father, she had to care for her younger sisters while her family migrated for work, leaving her academically behind and socially withdrawn. This video captures Kalyani’s inspiring transformation through the American India Foundation’s Learning and Migration Program (LAMP), which restores access to education for vulnerable youth. By joining a local Learning Resource Center, Kalyani received the academic support and interactive tools she needed for her learning and development to catch up with her peers. Today, she is an award-winning student who dreams of becoming a teacher. Discover how LAMP, in partnership with West Wind, is keeping education alive for thousands of migrant children across rural India.
Kalyani’s Story
For children in Akhasne village in the Nandurbar district, seasonal migration often cuts education short. When Kalyani lost her father seven years ago, her family had to migrate for work to survive. Kalyani was forced to leave her books behind and spend her days caring for her younger sisters. While her friends moved ahead in school, Kalyani fell behind and lost her consistent access to education.
When AIF’s LAMP program staff conducted door-to-door home visits and counseled her mother on the importance of continuing her daughters’ education, Kalyani finally returned to the classroom. But the academic gap and the isolation left her quiet, withdrawn, and sitting alone in class, disconnected from her peers. To rebuild her confidence, Kalyani joined the local Learning Resource Center (LRC), where she experienced a dynamic way of learning. Through listening, speaking, physical gestures, touch, reading, writing, and hands-on experiments with STEM kits, she rediscovered her love for school.
These literacy programs and daily activities sparked a massive positive change in her academic progress, enabling her to read and write Marathi exceptionally well and even win first place in her school’s essay competition. Today, Kalyani’s mother wishes for her daughter to stay in school and discover her full potential, while Kalyani works toward her own dream: completing her 12th grade, pursuing a Diploma in Education, and returning to the classroom as a teacher.
Kalyani’s success is part of a larger ecosystem supported by West Wind, which operates 11 LRCs across 33 villages that cover over 8,000 children, securing their basic right to education. Her specific hub school ecosystem connects 5 villages, 2 feeder schools, 5 Anganwadi centers, and 5 community convergence groups to ensure no child falls through the cracks and that every student has reliable access to education.
As the American India Foundation celebrates 25 years of driving meaningful social change, you can help us reach even more children by supporting the LAMP program today. Your donation at aif.org will fuel vital learning resources, help keep migrant children in school, and break the cycle of intergenerational poverty for families across India.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1) What is the mission of AIF’s LAMP program?
LAMP’s mission is to foster uninterrupted, quality education for migrant children in migration-prone rural communities across India, breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty.
2) Who does the LAMP program serve?
LAMP serves migrant children, first-generation learners, and vulnerable youth in migration-prone geographies across India.
3) How does the LAMP program create impact?
LAMP creates impact through digitized Learning Resource Centers (LRCs), Mobile Learning Libraries, and community-based learning support that keep children in the education system and learning at grade level despite circumstances of family migration.
4) What has been the impact of the LAMP program so far?
LAMP has empowered over 1.75 million children across 6K villages in 17 States and Union Territories, reaching 3.5K teachers and 30K community members to ensure quality education continues for migrant children across India.
5) How can I support AIF’s LAMP program?
You can support the LAMP program by donating at aif.org today. Help us celebrate 25 years of impact by keeping vulnerable migrant children in school and empowering them to build a brighter future.
