Kotresh is a young boy from the Davangere district of Karnataka. His family and village were severely affected by the droughts specific to the area, which destroyed all of their livelihood options. Kotresh’s parents moved out of the village in search of a better life and new employment opportunities that might come their way. In his journey, Kotresh saw other children of his age going to school. He wistfully longed to attend classes alongside them, and imagined himself building a successful career as a result. But options remained limited, as with many other children of his age and circumstance. Luckily, a relative of Kotresh advised his parents to admit him to the Don Bosco Centre in Hospet. This was a turning point in Kotresh’s life! He underwent bridge schooling at Don Bosco and learnt the basics of reading and writing. After graduating the course, he was able to attend mainstream schools and pursue his dreams. “Initially it was difficult to cope up with the new environment in school and it took repeated attempts for me to adjust, so I went back to Don Bosco Hospet and got a lot of support. Eventually I completed Class X with 75% marks and PUC with 73% and I am pursuing under-graduation studies in Commerce”.
Empowerment to Redefine Circumstances
Devraj, a single-parent child growing up in Bangalore, did not
