Until 7th grade, Aarthy was, at best, an average student. She is the daughter of an unskilled construction site laborer who struggles to keep food on the family table. Like most of her classmates, Aarthy has struggled with challenges and hardships. Yet, since joining her local HoPE Learning...
Kalaiarasu was ten years old when he was diagnosed with bone cancer. What started as a minor pain in his joints soon led him to being hospitalized three days a week. Despite pain and suffering, he has a story to tell about all the love, care and support given to him within his HoPE Learning...
Anu is a lively 7th-grade girl who is well loved by all of her classmates. Despite living in dire poverty, she always shares a bright smile. She enjoys Science more than all other school subjects and longs to follow in the footsteps of her role model, Madam Marie Curie, the scientist who...
My birthday is Oct. 18th and Diwali is Oct. 30th. I’m writing this letter to request a birthday gift that means everything to me – a $9 Diwali gift that provides a set of new clothes for one of my 4,040 children at our HoPE Centers in India. Diwali is like Christmas for my children,...
Sithayammal is a very quiet girl who frequently speaks about being inspired by Tripura Foundation’s founder, Dr. Baskaran Pillai. She likes to sing and dance. She is a free spirit who spends her time practicing dance moves and listening to music. She is also well known in her village for her...
Like many HoPE Center children, Saravanan and his older sister have laborer parents who struggle every day to put food on the table. They are unable to overcome their conditions and escape poverty for many reasons, the biggest being that they are both illiterate. Saravanan is fortunate to be able...
We at Tripura Foundation receive many stories about brave, intelligent children facing and overcoming steep obstacles. This is one in which our heroine takes extra steps to create a bright future for herself, her family, her friends and her community. Like many HoPE Learning Center children, Divya...
In India, August 15th is a day of rebirth. At midnight on August 15, 1947, British rulers handed the country back to Indian leaders, ending a remarkable struggle that lasted 200 years. On this date, sovereign India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, unfolded the tricolor flag...
Though we often share stories about HoPE Center children who do not have parents, or whose parents are abusive or alcoholic, many others come from families who are caring and intact… but also coping with extreme poverty. This is the case with a 9th grade student named Sripriya and her...
Karuppaiya lost his wife a few years ago. He lives alone in a small decrepit hut and receives a government stipend of approximately Rs. 1000. This is not enough to cover the costs of daily rations of watery rice. In addition, Karuppaiya walks half a mile to fetch water because there is not a...