The Yuvalok Foundation was founded in 1995. Faced with the desperate need of so many poor children on his own doorstep, the founder began to see education, combined with the provision of good nutrition, as key to opening the door of opportunity in life for these children and eradicating poverty. From small beginnings, Yuvalok now staffs and operates five schools, a high school and four primary schools, which are attended by over 1500 children. Schooling and two meals each day are provided free to every child. The quality of education being provided is impressive, enabling pupils to develop and ultimately find good employment to support themselves and their families, thereby achieving transformation of the communities where they live. “We don’t just give bread, we create breadwinners”. It was this motivation that led the founder to set up the Threads of Life project in 1996. This is a tailoring programme with a difference, aimed at empowering women from very poor backgrounds, many of them emotionally disturbed because of domestic violence, others seeking a sustainable livelihood to break out from under the oppression of poverty. Each training course lasts six months, and includes time for teaching other skills, e.g., beauty and hairdressing, and for emotional support and counselling, making for a very well-balanced programme. The programme now operates from four centres in Bangalore, training 10-15 women at a time. At the end of each course, each graduate is gifted a sewing machine so they can work from home which is a very practical solution. Again, this is an initiative which is having a significant impact in transforming lives.
