Quality Education, Rural Development
Children, Marginalized Communities
May 29th, 2025 6 min read
Backpacks for Dreams Supporting Underprivileged Education
India’s literacy rate has risen from 52% in 1991 to over 77% today—a sign of meaningful progress. Yet, in many low-income and rural communities, school dropouts remain a harsh reality.
Why do children still leave school?
The reasons are layered. For some, it’s poverty—children are pulled out to earn or care for siblings. For others, it’s lack of academic support at home, early marriage, unsafe commutes, or social pressures. And then there are the smaller, quieter barriers—a torn bag, missing books, no uniformthat quietly erode a child’s sense of belonging.
These are the children who quietly slip through the cracks. Not because they lack the will to learn, but because the system, and sometimes society, fails to make them feel seen.
The Confidence to Carry a Bag
Most of us can remember the joy of the “back to school” season—new books wrapped in brown covers, fresh uniforms, shiny geometry boxes, and the satisfying weight of a backpack filled with promise. It wasn’t just stationery. It was a ceremony of readiness, a ritual that announced to the world—and to ourselves—that we belonged in a classroom.
Now imagine entering a classroom without any of that. And in that small admission lies a world of insecurity, one that no child should have to carry. The shame of not fitting in can be louder than a teacher’s words, more disruptive than any distraction.
For many children in rural India, not having the basic supplies means staying away altogether. Not because they lack the will, but because school starts with belonging. And without a backpack, some dont even feel like students.
More Than a Season, a Movement
In urban centers, “back to school is a commercial season—discounts, checklists, advertisements. But in underprivileged communities, it’s an uncertain hope. A season that many cannot afford to participate in.
And yet, there is another kind of back to school emerging in India today—a movement led by educators, NGOs, volunteers, and everyday citizens who believe that the classroom door must stay open to all.
These movements are not about curriculum. They’re about dignity. They ask: can a child sit through class without paper? Can he solve equations when his uniform invites mockery?
Through donation drives, community stalls, and hyperlocal campaigns, organisations are rewriting the meaning of “back to school.” They remind us that sometimes, a pencil is a passport. A bag is a bridge.
Backpacks for Dreams: Dignity in a School Bag
Among these changemakers is Nirmaan. Our campaignBackpacks for Dreams—began with a simple goal: to ensure that no child is denied education due to a lack of school supplies.
Each kit includes a sturdy backpack, notebooks, pens, pencils, a geometry box, and a water bottle. Its not elaborate, but it is complete. And for a child who has none of these, it is everything.
In the summer of 2024, the campaign surpassed its original target of 1,000 kits and distributed 1,300 fully-equipped school kits. With over ₹13.7 lakh raised, 600 corporate volunteers and 200 individual donors came together to fill these bags.
This year, Nirmaan returns with even greater resolve. With a larger goal to provide more kits, Backpacks for Dreams 2.0 is not just scaling in numbers—it’s expanding its philosophy. Because no child should have to drop out for the lack of a pen.
One Kit. One Year. One Future.
Education, in its ideal form, is the great equaliser. But for too many children in India, even the chance to sit at a desk comes at a cost they cannot afford. It is not enough to build schools—we must also equip students to inhabit them with dignity.
And sometimes, that begins with a backpack.
At ₹1,000 per kit, this is not charity. It is solidarity. It is an act of collective belief that every child deserves the tools to learn and to thrive.
This summer, as another school year begins, we invite you to be part of this movement. Whether as a donor, volunteer, or storyteller—there is a role for everyone.
Let’s not just send children back to school. Let’s send them back with pride.
Contribute here: Backpacks for Dreams
₹1000 = 1 backpack = 1 year of learning
--Bhanusri Pothrepally
- Executive Content Writer, ISR
"I like to pause, think, and put those thoughts into words. Somewhere in between, I create both meaning and fun."