Our Story

Kafal was setup by its secretary, a retired civil servant. In his own words:

"Having joined the IAS one rainy morning in Mussoorie in Uttara Khand, I quit it one sunny afternoon in Gandhinagar in Gujarat three decades later wanting to do something different. To do something that could make a difference, however small, to the life of someone else.

My journey of thirty years took me to various places in Manipur, Gujarat, and Delhi. Saw a lot, learnt a bit. A thought that remained constant was how life can be so kind to some- the comforts they enjoy, the ease with which they spend money, how assured they are about our future and how privileged.

And not so kind to others for whom it is a constant struggle- to get the next day's meal, to stave off illness, to find a solid roof, to look after their children. to give them a decent education.

That's how the idea of helping children with their education came about. I thought I could use my knowledge of Maths and English to work with them in a small, remote area where it is hard to find good teachers, even if schools exist. Thus I headed to Ramgarh in Kumaon which is where my roots are. Settling down here was easy though winning peoples trust took some time."

KAFAL began small, helping a local primary school and doing odd bits for them here and there which did not require a formal set up, or a large organisation.

While doing its bit for the local school, KAFAL also embarked on a programme to provide a quantum leap to some local children by enablinng them to study in high cost residential schools so that they could compete on equal terms and dream big. A girl from a local school was selected in 2013 for this special programme.

Getting her admitted to such a school itself was a problem because of the perceived gap between her and her peers in terms of calibre and social status. This is where Rajghat Besant School, Varanasi, run by the Krishnamurti Foundation, India, stepped in and agreed to meet the challenge. Thanks to their effort and the zeal of the girl, she has coped well and been promoted to the next higher class.

Many have questioned us on the resource intensity required for this effort and whether the same amount of money could not benefit a larger number of children. While that may be true, we believe that poor children in Kumaon, or anywhere for that matter, should be enabled to grow in an environment that gives them a quantum leap. Allows them to engage with people several notches above them in financial well being, without any fear of inferiority. To prove their worth.