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The transformer
Irrigation wells, schools, a weavers’ cooperative and many such schemes have transformed villages in Maharashtra’s Sangli and Kolhapur districts. But Arun Chavan, the man behind it all, is not known outside the area, says Kavita Kanan Chandra
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Keeping them in
The new sarpanch of Sarakana in Odisha has ensured that there is no migration out of her village by people in search of work. Rakhi Ghosh tells us the success story of sarpanch Soudamani Das
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People’s bridge
The new 225 feet long bridge across river Ghaggar, linking the villages of Panihari and Alikan in Haryana, is a model project. Costing Rs 1.5 crore, the bridge is an example of a people’s initiative, funded by the public, says Partho Burman
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Poverty’s child
Once a domestic help, it is just natural that Anuradha Bhosale dedicated her life to protect children from exploitation. Kavita Kanan Chandra tells us how she charted her path out of poverty through education and work among child labourers
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A grandpa’s story
At 97, Sudhanshu Biswas is a busy man. Taking care of 50 boys and 6 senior citizens, meticulously monitoring if they are served food on time and so on, at his home near Kolkata, he keeps visitors waiting. G Singh found the waiting worthwhile
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Changing lives
Having an alcoholic dad and a husband was enough motivation for Bhanu to help persons having alcohol and drug dependence problems to turn a new leaf. P C Vinoj Kumar reports on her CONCERN
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Caring by habit
A Chennai woman’s simple gesture of donating the money she gets from selling old newspapers, collected from homes, to two orphanages is an inheritance from her parents, who always took care of poor youth at their home, says P C Vinoj Kumar
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Dreamers’ dream
What R Saravanan could not do to his sister in 2005, he does for others. P C Vinoj Kumar met the founder of Dhanalakshmi Raja Educational and Charitable Trust that sends poor kids to college
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Life coach
A daily wage labourer’s daughter, who could not attend college, is now a life coach, motivator and mentor for children. P C Vinoj Kumar meets Logammal Arumugam, who is also behind the vibrant Children’s Parliament in many Tamil Nadu villages
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Ideal leader
You may not find a politician like K Viswanthan anywhere. In a decade he and his wife served as panchayat president, Kattuputhur in Tamil Nadu solved its water woe, turned green, plastic-free, tobacco-free and much more, says P C Vinoj Kumar
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Ideal home
Naatrangal has been a godsend to over a hundred destitute children. P C Vinoj Kumar visits the home run by Sharadha Devi in Kanchipuram to find the love and care provided there to be exemplary
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Glorious service
Seeing a man from US dying of AIDS at a time when nothing much was known of the syndrome, changed Glory Alexander’s outlook. It made the doctor start Asha Foundation many years later to serve HIV positive people, says Kavita Kanan Chandra
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Forest maker
Touched by the death of hundreds of snakes in a flood, a school boy started planting trees. Now, 36 years later, we have a forest in that island on the Brahmaputra. Partho Burman tells us Jadav Payeng’s story of determination and dedication
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The flying angel
Straddling a job in the skies and a mission on the ground, Captain Indraani Singh demonstrates how one person can be the change through spreading education, empowerment and employment among those who need it the most. Partho Burman reports
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Giving back
\r\n A group of first generation graduates are mentoring rural school students, who are also first generation learners in Tamil Nadu, by imparting life skills and building their confidence, through an NGO, Vazhai. P C Vinoj Kumar meets the mentors \r\n
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Mission Sanitation
On a mission to build toilets in the slums and lower income neighbourhoods of Kanpur, Kalavati Devi is working to create a clean environment. She is one of those uncelebrated brand ambassadors of India’s sanitation movement, says Alka Pande
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Educator extraordinaire
When Rajesh Kumar Sharma went to see how Metro Rail work was progressing near the Yamuna station, he realized that poor children had no school to attend. So he set up ‘Under the Bridge School’. Partho Burman meets the educator extraordinaire
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Rich at heart
A daily wage labourer in Rajasthan has donated land worth a crore for building a hospital, madarasa and masjid, proving that charity need not be the rich man’s prerogative, says Anil Sharma
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Unsung saviours
During the Uttarakhand flood of 2013, some women of Sumari Bhardhar risked their lives and saved equipment, furniture and documents of a school. But none appreciated them, says Chetna Verma
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Saving girls
Her first attempt to save a 12-year-old girl from the clutches of an abusive father failed. But that propelled Renu Singh to turn a crusader for gender justice and rescue about 3,800 girls and women in over three decades, says Partho Burman
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Kind hospital
Medicare hospital in Pune offers free treatment for women who are targets of dowry torture and acid attacks as the founder-owner was moved by the plight of one such victim, says Quaid Najmi
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Missing Nobel
Winner of many awards for his social work in Mumbai slums, Jockin Arputham missed the Nobel Peace in 2014. But for people whose life he changed through his dedication, he is indeed an ‘arputham’ (miracle, in Tamil), says Kavita Kanan Chandra