Enabling Access to Education in the Hills of Uttarakhand

Case Study

Enabling Access to Education in the Hills of Uttarakhand

The Kanak Parakh Foundation proudly partnered with the Ganga Valley Educational Trust to support quality education for children from underprivileged agrarian families in Uttarkashi, one of India’s remotest border districts in Uttarakhand. This initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring that geography and income are never the reason a child is left without a good school.

About the Implementation and Receiving Partner

Ganga Valley Educational Trust (GVET) is a registered public trust established in 2007. Since 2009 it has run Happy By Nature, a school for playgroup to Class 8 in Village Devidhar, Dunda. GVET has served more than 500 children over the years and currently teaches over 180 students drawn from nearly 15 surrounding villages. Its approach rests on six values it calls the six A’s, spanning nutrition, knowledge, health, compassion, rootedness in Indian heritage, and care for nature. The trust is led by Managing Trustee Maj. Rohit Chaudhary, a Kargil war veteran, alongside founder Ramesh Ramola and trustee Vinay Kumar Singh.

Project Need

Uttarkashi is a remote Himalayan border district where access to good schooling is limited and most families depend on agriculture. Children here have few affordable options for quality education close to home. To meet growing demand and carry students beyond Class 8, GVET is building The Ganga Valley School, a playgroup to Class XII campus at Village Singuni, close to its current location.

The School and Its Reach

Happy By Nature School: A trusted local school running since 2009 for children from playgroup to Class 8.

Children Across Villages:

Over 180 students from nearly 15 surrounding villages, most from underprivileged farming families.

The New Ganga Valley School:

A playgroup to Class XII campus under construction at Village Singuni to expand access to higher classes

Learning Rooted in the Six A’s:

An education built around Anna (food), Akshar (knowledge), Arogya (health), Anukampa (compassion), Adhyatma (spiritual wisdom), and Aranya (afforestation).

Our Contribution

The Kanak Parakh Foundation contributed financial support toward GVET’s work, helping strengthen education for children in Uttarkashi. Our aim was simply to stand behind a trusted local partner and help more children in the region access good schooling close to home.

Impact

This initiative will help more children from underprivileged families in Uttarkashi access quality education, support GVET as it expands schooling beyond Class 8, and contribute to long term opportunity and confidence for children in a remote border region.