Expanding Our Impact in 2024

BE Change is pleased to announce that we have reached our fundraising goals for 2024!

With your help, over 170 students at our two existing partner schools are getting the support they need. We’re now expanding our impact to support children at a third school and rural women, too.

Families have recently been struggling with a difficult economy around the world, with inflation driving up the cost of basic necessities like food and energy. This environment has caused real challenges for students in rural Bihar, where per capita income is approximately US$650 per year. While many families must cut back on expenses, including school-related expenses, with your support the students at our partner schools can count on access to a free, quality education for the full year in 2024.

With the completion of our annual fundraiser, BE Change is now supporting our existing partner schools, Bhavishya Me and Prema Metta, in the following ways:

Feeding over 170 children lunch each school day, giving them much needed nutrition that they wouldn’t have otherwise.
Ensuring over 90 children have access to education and tools to learn, so they can master the material they need to succeed.
Generating reliable income for 4 teachers and 3 women cooks in rural communities, allowing them to support their own families and focus on educating and feeding the next generation.
Covering the costs of special school events, like Indian holiday celebrations, fostering community among students and giving them even more reason to love their education.

Expanding our Impact

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, this year BE Change is making big strides in creating impact in rural Bihar. We are pleased to announce that we are now working with a third school, Kamal School, which is located 15km from Bodhgaya. BE Change has been in contact with the co-founder of this school, Jackie Vishwakarma, for many years and we have been impressed by his dedication to childhood education . We are excited to begin this new partnership with Kamal School with funding for teacher salaries.

Recognizing the importance of women to sustainable development, this year we are also expanding our impact to support rural women through an exciting new program. 2024 marks the beginning of our support for a new sewing program for rural women that is operated by the founder of one of our partner schools. Going forward, we are excited to share the results of these impactful new partnerships with the donors who made it possible.

See how your donations are having a real impact in rural Bihar below.

Bhavishya Me

You’re continuing to fund salaries for four teachers at Bhavishya Me, as well as school supplies that are provided to students free of charge. With this assistance, almost 100 students are able to get an education. Your support helps fund the costs of celebrating holiday festivals at school, as well, which brings the school community together throughout the year.

We’re also continuing to fund the lunch program at this school, which BE Change helped start with the generous support of our donors. Our support includes funding for salaries for two local women who are employed as the school’s cooks. This impactful program is enabling students to attend a full day of school, including a nutritious meal (in the past students went home for lunch and stayed home).

Prema Metta

You’re also helping to fully fund the lunch program at Prema Metta, which feeds the school’s 75 students a nutritious lunch each day. This impactful program was started by our co-founder, Michelle Bos-Lun, in 2015. Our support includes funding for a salary for the school’s cook, a local woman who has been with the school for many years.

Haridashpur Village

The new program’s sewing teacher prepares for opening.

You’re now supporting an exciting new sewing program in Haridashpur Village that is equipping rural women with new skills and a sense of community. This impactful program is being started and managed by the founder of Bhavishya Me and will teach approximately 40 women how to sew. This will bring them new opportunities to earn an income and support their families.

We look forward to bringing you a detailed update on this new program in the coming months.

Kamal School

We are thrilled to begin our partnership with a third primary school in rural Bihar, Kamal School. Located about 15km from Bodhgaya, the school provides a free education to approximately 80 young students in Grades 1-5, many of whom come from the Dalit community. Our journey with Kamal School is beginning with funding that will support the salaries of the school’s two teachers. We look forward to sharing more information about Kamal School and the school’s co-founder, Jackie Vishwakarma, in the coming months.

As always, BE Change thanks our donors for helping us improve childhood education in rural Bihar.

Michelle, Alex and Elaine
Directors