No Words to Thank You

Once a little girl attending a Holt-supported daycare in a migrant community in India, Nalini is now 13 and at the top of her class. She dreams of becoming a doctor — and her sponsors are helping to make that dream possible.

When Nalini was just a baby, her father abandoned his family — leaving her mother, Asha, to care for two children on her own.

Scared and unsure of the future, Asha packed up all their belongings and left their village in Tamil Nadu. Jobs were scarce in her village, especially for a single mother…

With her two children in her arms and all the money she had, Asha headed toward the city of Bangalore in search of opportunity and hope.

A New Start

An estimated 600 million internal migrants live in India, driven from rural villages to crowded cities like Bangalore in search of work. Millions of migrants, like Nalini and her family, live in poverty — only now in an overcrowded and overwhelming urban setting. Many have trouble finding jobs, often due to language barriers. Internal migrants come from all over India, a country where more than 1,600 languages — including dialects and tribal tongues — are spoken.

With great perseverance, Asha found a job as a housemaid. But when her employers discovered she’d have to bring her two young children along, she faced an impossible decision.

“I didn’t know where to leave my kids because I needed to work,” Asha says, her eyes gleaming with tears. “And if I brought my kids to my place of work, they would not give me a job.”

Like many children in migrant communities in India, 2-year-old Nalini and her 5-year-old brother were left home alone while their mother worked.

Asha kissed them goodbye and locked the door behind her — doing what she could to keep them safe in her absence. Nalini and her brother were too young to be left alone. But even older children face real dangers when left unsupervised in the slums, including the risk of trafficking and exploitation.

Asha could only bear to leave her children alone for a couple of hours, but that meant sacrificing the income they needed to survive. She could barely afford daily essentials, let alone daycare. She didn’t know where to turn.

That’s when she found a Holt-supported childcare center, and everything changed.

Hope for Migrant Families in India

When Nalini was 2 and a half, her mom heard about a childcare center free to migrant families. Now she could work without worrying about her children’s safety. She could earn an income to keep a roof over their heads and food in their bellies.

Holding her children’s hands, she walked into the childcare center, a four-story building in the middle of several impoverished neighborhoods of migrant families. The smell of cooking spices filled the air, hinting at a fresh meal to come later in the day. Women in colorful saris greeted the children, taking their hands to lead them into the classroom.

“I would drop them here at 9 a.m. and pick them back up at 4 p.m.,” Asha explains. “I was able to work those long hours because both of my kids were taken care of.”

The Child Development Center (CDC) is run by Holt’s partner organization in Bangalore, Vathsalya Charitable Trust (VCT), and has served nearly 17,000 children since opening in 2013. Designed for underserved migrant families, the CDC offers free, nurturing daycare and a strong early foundation for education.

What began in one neighborhood has expanded across Bangalore, with vibrant centers planted in areas where childcare is scarce. And while the CDC is the only option most migrant families have, the standards VCT holds are high — often exceeding those of costly private daycares. Using a Montessori approach, the CDC fosters holistic development with a focus on life skills, values and developmental milestones.

Children ages 2-6 are grouped into four classrooms — Caterpillars, Pupa, Butterflies and Bunnies — with Bunnies “hopping” into formal school when ready. Younger classes focus on sensory and motor skills through play-based learning. With children from diverse linguistic backgrounds, teachers use a language-inclusive approach to ensure every child feels seen and understood.

An Early Foundation

Now 13, Nalini sits with her mom at a small blue plastic table, just down the hall from her first classroom at the CDC. Ten years have passed since Nalini started preschool here. In the background, children sing a song about rollie pollies.

“I wish I could come to [the CDC] because I want to study here again. But I am grown up now, so I can’t,” Nalini says, smiling. “When I was small, I learned English here. They taught me rhymes and songs. I liked singing most.”

After building an early foundation of cognitive, social and emotional skills, older classes offer structured and experiential learning — helping students prepare for formal school.

In her Bunnies classroom, Nalini volunteered to be a leader. Each day, she helped sort vegetables for mealtime.

“When I was small, I liked [Ms. Shanthi, my teacher], because she was teaching well,” Nalini remembers, giggling. “She wanted to make me a leader, so I said, ‘I will lead everything in class.’”

Shanthi is a tall woman with kind eyes and a calm presence. Dressed in a light teal sari and gold bangles, she exudes warmth and patience. She has been teaching in the Bunnies classroom for 10 years. She used to work as a teacher at a formal school, which helps her prepare her students who will soon transition to a more formal learning environment. Giving students opportunities to lead, she encourages them to be active learners.

“I’d like to tell students that they [have] a great opportunity to study in this school. They should not miss this opportunity because this is good education,” Nalini says of the CDC.

For many families, the CDC offers an opportunity of a lifetime. One that will change the trajectory of their children’s lives. Because without an early educational foundation, children are behind their peers in school.

A Path to Success

Nalini’s older brother, Tejas, was one of these students.

Three years older than Nalini, Tejas was just old enough to attend formal school when they moved to Bangalore.

“When I put my son in school, he did not know how to read. He did not know anything,” Asha says. “I asked [the staff] if I could bring him to the [CDC] and he came here for one year.”

That one year made a vast difference. With support from teachers who knew Tejas and how to encourage his growth, he excelled. After graduating from the CDC, Tejas moved into formal school with the support of a Holt sponsor.

“Now he’s the first in the class. His school even thinks he will get a college scholarship,” Asha says, smiling proudly. “The only reason for all of this is because of Vathsalya.”

Holt-supported early education programs, like VCT’s, provide a launching pad for students to succeed in school. But the support from Holt sponsors is critical — providing the momentum and the financial backing for students to keep going.

Education in India

When she was 6, Nalini moved on to formal school with the support of Holt sponsors, who helped cover the cost of her fees and supplies.

“My favorite subject is English,” Nalini says. “I want to learn more English because I want to visit other countries … I want to visit South Korea and America. Wherever [I can go], I’d like to visit.”

Nalini is confident and well-spoken. She’s artistic, kind and ambitious. She’s the top of her class — something she says she’s proud of. For a girl from a slum community, Nandini ranking highest in her class is an especially great achievement. Still today, girls face gender barriers in India. In many communities, families prioritize their sons’ education over their daughters’. When resources are scarce, girls are more likely to drop out early to help support their family while their brothers attend school. Once they drop out, girls are also more likely to get married at young ages. 

We ask Nalini if she thinks it’s important for girls to go to school. She nods.

“Because in India, education is very important. Some parents did not study, and they did not get a good education,” she explains.

For many girls growing up with a similar background to Nalini, school is not guaranteed — and few have access to higher education. But thanks to her sponsors, Nalini can continue her education without the fear that this year might be her last.

We ask, “Do you think it’s harder for girls to go to school than boys?”

“No, it’s not,” Nalini says confidently. “Because India girls are very strong. They are very brave. They don’t need to worry.”

Mother and Daughter

Asha is one of those strong and brave women in India, migrating from the only home she’d known to a big city — all for the possibility of providing the best life for her children.

We ask Nalini, “What is something you love about your mom?”

“Everything I love, because she gave her life for us. Because she works hard, I want to study well,” Nalini says, looking at her mom. “I’m very grateful to my mother. She works very hard for us.”

Nalini’s mom, Asha, is part of VCT’s Income Generation Program (IGP), which has empowered her with practical training. With the support of Holt sponsors and donors, she learned tailoring, sewing and job skills to earn supplemental income to support her family. She also recently started a new job as a helper at a petrol pump, now earning a salary that allows her to better support her family’s needs. She has grown in confidence and leadership, and even found meaningful community and friendships through VCT.

Once when Nalini was young, Asha joined a group of moms and their children for an end-of-the-year dance performance. Each week, Nalini and her mom practiced their dance routine during the afternoon at the CDC. Many of the children also had single moms who Asha could relate to — giving her the community support she needed. The weekly rehearsals were just as precious as the heartwarming performance — Nalini and her mom spending time together, sharing a special mother-daughter bond.

Asha tears up as she tells us how much sponsorship and VCT’s support have meant to her. It’s been life-changing — not just for her, but for Nalini and Tejas.

“Because of VCT, both my kids are what they are today,” Asha says. “VCT will call us and ask questions, inquiring about our needs. No relatives like this ever inquire about us, but everyone in Vathsalya calls and inquires. Be it clothing or whatever, they call and say, ‘Nalini, here are some clothes for you.’ Be it a pencil, they give us everything and help us. Thank you very much.”

In Kannada, the local language in Bangalore, Vathsalya means parental love. There’s no better fitting name for VCT.

Agency to Choose Her Future

Without sponsorship, many girls living in poverty are forced to drop out of school. They face real threats of early marriage or child labor. Without support for tuition and school costs, many parents feel that the cost to educate a girl is too much.

We ask Nalini, “Some girls get married early. What would you say is a good age to get married?”

Nalini stops and thinks for a moment. “I think after they get a nice job and are educated. Then, when they feel comfortable and they’re settled in their life, I think they can get married,” she says.

Thanks to sponsorship, Nalini holds the agency to choose: marriage, education, a career — her future is hers to shape.

When we ask what Nalini wants to be when she grows up, her mom smiles and tells us, “When she was young, she played with a toy stethoscope.”

Nalini, embarrassed, covers her face with her hands and laughs.

“I would really like her to study well, go abroad and take good care of herself. But it’s not in my hands,” Asha continues.

A Girl with a Dream

Dressed in her 8^th grade school uniform, Nalini sits in a tiny, yellow child’s chair in the CDC classroom. At one time, this chair would have been the perfect size for her. When she first arrived at the CDC, it may have even been too big. But she’s grown a lot since then.

“I would like to be a doctor, because I’m very interested in science,” Nalini says. “Now, I’m trying to learn new things in science [about] humans and animals because I like research. I hope I’ll become a doctor.”

Sharmila Hepzibah, VCT’s executive director, turns toward Nalini and says, “Can you write a letter to me to say that this is what you would like to do? … I’d like to try and connect you to people who are doctors or studying science, because it’s not very easy to go to medical school. It’s very difficult. If many people are applying, very few get to go.”

She offers to check-in with Nalini monthly to help her connect with doctors in the field — and take steps toward her future.

For a girl growing up in a migrant community, many barriers stand between her and her dream. Generational poverty, limited access to quality education, health issues, threats like trafficking and child labor, gender discrimination and a lack of guidance all stand in the way of a girl reaching her full potential.

But because of the continued support she receives from her sponsors and the staff at VCT, Nalini has a path towards a bright future.

“Thank you, sponsors, for the great sponsorship. I am very thankful because you are helping us now,” Nalini says. “What to tell… no words are coming because you help us so much. Thank you.”