Dwarka, 48, became a sponsor with World Vision (WV) India. His face beamed with pride as he held the photo of a six-year-old girl from Delhi. It was a full-circle moment for Dwarka and his wife, whose two sons had once been sponsored children through WV India. 

Originally from Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh, Dwarka had been associated with WV India for over two decades. He had witnessed numerous changes since WV India first began working in the community in 1999. He was one of the first two people from his village to pass the final matriculation examination. Two decades later, the village was home to many college-going youngsters. The transformation within the community had been remarkable. 

Dwarka began his journey with World Vision (WV) India as a teacher at a Remedial Education Centre (REC). He underwent training and later became a trainer for WV India’s Training of Trainers (TOT) programme. In this role, he visited and trained WV India’s volunteers in Pauri, Agra, Meerut, and other operational areas. He continued to serve as a dedicated volunteer for the organisation. 

He recalled the first time WV India’s staff visited his village—when the circumstances were vastly different. Girls were not encouraged to attend school, and the village had only one primary school (up to 5th standard). Children who wished to continue their education had to walk 7 kilometres to the nearest town. 

“During the early years, World Vision India’s staff would walk all the way to our village because there was no motorable road,” Dwarka shared. “They walked 7 kilometres from the nearest town. In summer, the sun was scorching, and during the monsoon, they had to trek through a long stretch of muddy road. Seeing the good work they were doing inspired me to serve my own community.” 

Dwarka now owns a hand pump repairing business and employs four people. Through WV India, he attended a hand pump repairing training. Lalitpur District being a dry area, majority of the people are dependent on ground water. So there is a regular flow of work for him. 

Dwarka’s two sons Adarsh, 20, and Anand, 22, were both WV India’s sponsored children. Adarsh has completed 10+2 and is doing a polytechnic course while Anand is pursuing Bachelor of Pharmacy.  

The village had undergone remarkable transformation. Once home to only two matriculation graduates, it now boasted numerous college-going youth. Several of WV India’s sponsored children had gone on to complete the Auxiliary Nursing Midwife (ANM) course and had secured government jobs. 

“Earlier, girls were not sent to college, nor were they allowed to leave the village for their education,” Dwarka recalled. “But after seeing the success of the girls who completed the ANM course and became nurses, parents changed their mindset. The villagers came to understand the value of education.” 

Though the project was in its phase-out stage, World Vision (WV) India worked diligently to establish Children’s Clubs and Child Protection Units (CPUs) that were capable of functioning independently. The CPU members ensured that children remained in school. In some instances, they even re-enrolled children who had dropped out. Dwarka’s life stood as a testament to the transformation within the community—empowered and confident. The children in the village now had dreams of their own. They no longer had to leave school early or be tied to farm work like their parents once were. 

“When my children were sponsored, I realised that there were people out there working hard to support them,” said Dwarka. “My life has changed drastically. That is why I now want to give back. I sponsor a girl child from Delhi.” 

Since 1999, WV India had been working in 61 villages in Lalitpur. Through a range of interventions, the organisation reached 24,276 children from 11,461 families. 

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