Durga Devi, a science graduate from Baragaon, Varanasi, is a quiet force of change.

As a *Vidya Sathi with the India Literacy Project, she has taken on the mission of bringing education to Musher Basti, a remote hamlet where schools felt like a distant dream. When she started the **Village Learning Center (VLC), only a handful of children showed up. Most parents, having never been to school themselves, were skeptical.

But Durga ji didn’t give up. She walked through the colony, door-to-door, patiently explaining the transformative power of education. Her persistence paid off. Within a month, every child in the community was attending the VLC. The first batch of 3rd to 5th graders completed their foundational learning, and now, a second batch has begun under her guidance.

Durga ji’s story is one of quiet resilience and unwavering belief. In a place where illiteracy once cast a long shadow, she has lit a lamp of hope, proving that even the smallest steps can lead to monumental change.

*Vidya Saathis (i.e., Friends for Education) are village level volunteers that ILP Partners actively recruit and train.
**Village Learning Center is a space that is set up in the community for the children to attend in order to improve their learning levels.