Guest Contributor

When tragedy struck Pahalgam, 16-year-old Rubeena — lovingly called Kashmir’s ‘Rabbit Girl’ — opened her heart and home to frightened tourists. With courage beyond her years, she helped strangers find safety, offering quiet kindness in a time of fear.

Manohari Doss, Prabha Yadav, and Kalavapalli Lavannya are leading powerful grassroots movements to advance Dalit women’s rights, dignity, and leadership across India.

Rupesh Chopdekar's home biogas plant has a capacity of 2 cubic metres and costs Rs 65,000, with a subsidy covering nearly half the cost. The plant can process about 5 kg of kitchen waste daily, generating up to two hours of cooking gas.

In Aldona, Goa, 66-year-old Krishna Kerkar has spent 45 years rearing cows and farming, upholding a century-old family legacy. Though he earns no profit, spends Rs 20,000 monthly on fodder, and battles back pain, his bond with the animals he calls family remains unshaken.

Led by 22-year-old Musadiq Bashir, Kashmir Youth Courage has mobilised over 600 young volunteers to rescue, rehabilitate, and restore dignity to the abandoned.

Blood transcends all divisions — race, religion, caste, or creed. When a life is at stake, these differences disappear, Mario points out.

Kifayatullah Malik knows the pain of nearly losing his education. Now, at 25, he’s helping tribal children overcome the same struggles — ensuring they stay in school despite financial difficulties. His inspiring efforts won him the President’s Award, but his true victory lies in changing lives, one child at a time.

Across India, women like Bandana, Kalpana, and Nirmala are solving some of the most pressing and overlooked issues in their communities. But who is taking care of them?

Shweta Rawat, founder and chairperson of The Hans Foundation, shares with The Better India the challenges and strategies in combating childhood cancer. She highlights the Pediatric Program's initiatives aimed at making critical cancer treatment accessible and affordable for children from low-income families.

Despite making up 45% of NGO staff in India, only 25-30% of leadership roles are held by women. Many women leaders face barriers from caste and gender discrimination to limited funding. Flexible funding empowers these women-led NGOs, allowing them to build infrastructure, support survivors, and address gender equity — showing how strategic investments in such organisations can pave the way for lasting social change.