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My name is Vishwadeep Rathore and I will never forget that day at the traffic signal. I was waiting for the light to turn green, when a little boy tugged at my sleeve. “Bhaiya, can you give me five rupees? I need to buy something to eat.” I looked down and noticed he had a pen in his hand. I asked him, “Why not sell the pen instead?” He smiled and said, “I’ll only get two rupees for this pen. If I beg, I’ll get five.” Amused, I asked him why he wasn't in school...
His response to my question hit me like a punch to the chest: “School isn’t meant for kids like us.” Standing in front of me was an entire childhood stolen by poverty, by bad parenting, by a society that looks the other way. I went home with those words ringing in my ears. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t accept that this was just how things were.
I grew up with parents who always told me that education was my birthright
I never lacked anything growing up. But standing there, hearing a child say school wasn’t meant for him, I realized how privileged I had been. I started small, with something I thought could help; distributing old clothes with my friends through a group we called Holder of Recycled Goods. We went to slums, traffic signals, and footpaths, giving warm clothes to people who had nothing. The joy on their faces was unforgettable.
Soon, I understood that charity was not a solution
Giving free things to kids only made them dependent. The real problem, I saw, was bigger: children were being taught to beg from the moment they could walk. Their fathers were often drunk and violent; their mothers helpless. No one told these children that they could dream of something more. That’s when I knew I had to start Jeevan Shakti Foundation — not to give handouts, but to hand out hope.
I opened our first center in Agra with my own savings and help from a few close friends
Today, we have 35 children who come to us every day, children who once roamed the streets, playing in mud and begging for coins. Now, they wake up early, bathe, wear clean clothes, and come to our center with notebooks in hand. We teach them basic subjects — Hindi, Math, History, English — but more importantly, we teach them how to live with dignity. We show them what respect means, what discipline feels like.
There’s immense talent in these kids
I’ve seen children who can sing beautifully, dance with grace, and learn faster than I ever expected. We’ve even started computer classes recently, and watching their eyes light up when they type their names for the first time... it’s priceless. But every day is still a battle. I fight not just poverty, but generations of conditioning that tell these children they are meant to beg.
The biggest challenge is money
Whatever money I have, whatever I make, I put into this foundation. My friends help, but it’s not enough. We need funds for books, clothes, food, medical care. We need volunteers who don’t quit after a few days. And we need the community to care. I’ve seen firsthand how domestic violence and alcohol addiction destroy these homes. Mothers who send their children to beg because they fear their drunken husbands’ wrath. Children who think this is all life will ever offer.
My vision is simple, but it feels massive... I need your help...
All I want is to break this cycle. I don’t want a single child in Agra to beg. We’re about to launch a food van that will serve hot meals for just five rupees. Not for free, because I want them to learn the value of food, but cheap enough that no one goes hungry. I can’t do this alone, though. I need your help. Every donation, no matter how small, gives these children a future they never thought they could have. Please. Help me show them that school is meant for them. Help me show them they matter.
Click here to donate.
