Indradhanush

We believe education is the greatest gift one person can give another. Under Indradhanush we put underprivileged children through school, with a special focus on the Gadhiya Lohar community — the descendants of the blacksmiths who made weapons for Maharana Pratap's army.

After the battle of Haldighati in 1576 their ancestors vowed not to return home. Even today many families live in tents by the roadside, without houses or identity documents, and sending children to school is out of reach. Girls are at particular risk of being married off early.

How it works

• We select a locality and survey children and parents to gauge their willingness to study.
• Volunteers run evening classes in the locality for three months and motivate families towards school.
• Children are admitted to nearby schools, and we pay for everything that schooling needs.
• We keep in touch with schools and parents, hold co-curricular activities and make sure schooling continues year after year.

What a child receives

• School fees, tuition after school, books, stationery and a school bag.
• School uniforms, clothes for daily use and a winter kit of sweaters, caps, socks, inners and track suits.
• Transport to school and tuition — a vehicle that follows the family whenever their tents are moved on.
• A daily nutrition supplement of 100 grams per child, and medical care when needed.
• Holi and Deepawali celebrations and an annual function with the whole Indradhanush family.

Reach

The programme began in 2014 with about 30 children in three Gadhiya Lohar localities of Bareilly and now covers 13 localities in and around the city, including Kudesiya Flyover, Delapeer, Satellite, Transport Nagar, Bhuta, Faridpur, Fatehganj East and West, Rithora, Bhojipura, Devchara and CB Ganj. It supported 133 students in 2020–21, 136 in 2021–22 and 124 in 2022–23; the 2024–25 plan budgets for 152 children, and today more than 150 are in school through Indradhanush.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, when schools closed, the Foundation delivered groceries and essentials to the families of these children instead.

Supporting one child for a year costs ₹16,859, covering school fees, tuition, books, uniforms, daily clothes, transport, nutrition and medical care. The programme is funded by individual donors.