BE Change is raising $25,000 to feed and support students at our partner schools and women in rural Bihar in 2026.

We’re now $24,378 away from our goal!

Change for Children and Rural Communities in 2026

As BE Change enters our seventh year, our projects are directly impacting 310 children across three partner schools, 54 women annually across two sewing programs and 21 dedicated teachers and staff from local communities making this change happen on the ground in rural Bihar. We’re looking for your help to continue this important work in 2026.

Our programs by the numbers

310 children at our partner schools

54 women learning to sew each year

21 teacher and staff salaries supported

This Year’s Efforts

BE Change extends our sincerest thanks to our donors who have already contributed in 2025. Your significant contributions, including from the participants in the 2025 travel program led by our co-founder, Michelle Bos-Lun, have already funded a substantial portion of our annual budget for 2026.

We are now raising an additional $25,000 to meet our annual budget. This fundraiser will support projects at three partner schools—Bhavishya Me, Prema Metta and Kamal School—that directly impact 310 children. In addition, funds will support two impactful sewing projects that teach 54 women how to sew each year in Manjhar and Rajaundha Villages.

BE Change funds also contribute to the livelihoods of 21 local men and women in rural Bihar making these programs a reality, including teachers and staff at our partner schools.

BE Change is proud to have started the lunch program at Bhavishya Me, which feeds over 120 children each school day and employs two local women cooks. Pictured: Bhavishya Me students enjoy lunch in October 2023.

We can improve the lives of children and women in rural Bihar with your help.

As always, we’re raising funds to continue to deliver our core, existing programs at three primary schools: meal programs that feed over 200 students and employ three local women as cooks, as well as funding for nine teacher salaries at Bhavishya Me and Kamal School, school supplies and food and other items to celebrate Indian holidays. We’re also working to continue the impactful sewing program we helped start in 2024, which teaches marketable skills to 30 women in the village of Rajaundha. We are proud of the positive impact these programs have had with the support of our donors, and we look forward to continuing this important work in 2026.

This year, we’re expanding our impact by contributing to several new initiatives, including salaries for seven teachers at Prema Metta, providing uniforms for the students of Kamal School and funding a teacher’s salary for a sewing program in Manjhar Village, which has been operated by Rajesh Kumar, the founder of our partner school, Bhavishya Me, for over ten years.

You can read more about the projects we’ll support with this fundraiser below. We hope you’ll join us in supporting children and women in rural Bihar in 2026!

Giving Back

One of the greatest markers of success is being able to give back to your community. We’re proud that students at our partner schools recognize the value of education and seek to help the next generation succeed.

Nagdev Kumar, pictured above working with students in March 2023, was himself a student at Prema Metta for three years. He returned to the school after graduating from college to become a teacher, and has now risen to become the school’s principal.

This year, donations will help support Nagdev’s salary so he can continue to deliver for the 85 students at Prema Metta—giving them the same chances he had to succeed.

We hope you’ll join us by clicking the “Donate” button above and donating via PayPal, credit card or debit card. BE Change remains 100% operated by volunteers and, other than discounted payment processing fees, your donations will go directly to children and women that need them. We invite you to learn more about how we use your donations here, and more about this fundraising effort below.

For larger donations of US$1,000 or more, please contact Michelle, Alex or Elaine before donating through PayPal.

Would you like to donate in honor of or in memory of a loved one? Let us know here and we can send a card with your message.

What Will This Campaign Do For a Full Year?

Feed over 200 children lunch each school day, giving them much needed nutrition that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Ensure over 300 children have access to education and tools to learn, so they can master the material they need to succeed.
Generate reliable income for 16 teachers, 3 women cooks and 2 women sewing teachers in rural communities, allowing them to support their own families and focus on educating and feeding the next generation.
Cover the costs of special school events, like Indian holiday celebrations, fostering community among students and giving them even more reason to love their education.
Teach over 50 women how to sew — a skill that they can use to support their families and each other.

Our Focus Areas in 2026

Fundraiser Gallery

Prema Metta: Meal Program

BE Change will continue funding the meal program at Prema Metta Orphanage School Trust, which was started by one of our co-founders, for the full year in 2026. Since 2019, BE Change has fully funded this impactful program, including a salary for one local woman to operate the kitchen, which feeds over 80 children a nutritious lunch each school day.

Prema Metta: Teachers

This year, for the first time, BE Change will support salaries for the seven teachers and staff at Prema Metta for six months. Salaries are typically funded by contributions from Senamura Yoga Ashram, a guesthouse operated by the founders of Prema Metta, but a slowdown in bookings has recently been challenging. BE Change support will allow the school to continue serving its 85 students while Prema Metta secures stable funding for teacher salaries from other sources.

Bhavishya Me: Meal Program

BE Change will continue funding the meal program at Bhavishya Me, which BE Change started in 2023, for the full year in 2026. We are proud to have fully funded this program from the start, including the construction of the kitchen. Funding for this program includes salaries for two local women to operate the kitchen, which feeds over 120 children a nutritious lunch each school day.

Bhavishya Me: Teacher Salaries

BE Change has helped Bhavishya Me increase annual salaries for its 4 teachers, ensuring that the school’s dedicated professionals can count on a higher, more regular income which will help with retention. We will continue funding these salaries for the full year in 2026, so Bhavishya Me’s teachers can focus on educating the school’s students.

Bhavishya Me: Supplies

The textbooks, pens, pencils, notebooks and other tools that students need to learn aren’t free. In 2026, we’re providing funding for Bhavishya Me to purchase school supplies for its students on an as-needed basis, so students can focus more on mastering the material.

Bhavishya Me: School Events

Celebration is an important part of Indian culture, and special events at school give students a sense of community and belonging—plus, they’re fun! BE Change will fund expenses for Bhavishya Me to continue to host important special events at school like celebrating Holi, the festival of colors, pictured above. The school will be able to purchase food, decorations and other supplies for students to celebrate throughout the year.

Kamal School: Teacher Salaries

BE Change is proud to support the dedicated teachers at Kamal School. We will fund five teacher salaries for six months in 2026, with the school funding the rest of the year with the help of other donors. Together, our contributions will ensure the school’s 100 students can count on their education.

Kamal School: Uniforms

BE Change will fund the cost of new uniforms for the 100 students at Kamal School, helping build a sense of community and respect for education amongst an excited and passionate group of promising children.

Rajaundha Village: Sewing Program

BE Change will continue to fund the sewing program in Rajaundha Village that we helped start in 2024. Located about 20 kilometers from Bodhgaya, many women in Rajaundha currently lack employment opportunities.

This impactful program, which is operated by the founder of Bhavishya Me, teaches 30 women how to sew. This new skill opens up opportunities for women to earn income and support their families, all in an inclusive environment that brings them together outside of the home.

Manjhar Village: Sewing Program

BE Change will fund a salary for the sewing teacher at the Manjhar Village sewing program, which has been operated by Rajesh Kumar out of the Bhavishya Me school building for over ten years.

The program teaches 24 women how to sew each year. BE Change is proud to contribute to this successful, longstanding initiative, enabling even more women to benefit from the practical skills and connections built over the year.