Changemakers / Krystelle Dsouza

The Better India • 8th November 2026

How Aarey’s Warli Adivasi Women Found Jobs Through Stitching

Once at the centre of the fight to save their forest homes, Warli Adivasi women in Mumbai are building financial independence through stitching jobs that offer regular salaries, provident fund and medical benefits.

17th September 2026

Army Veteran Revived a Hill School From 30 to 180 Kids Who Build Circuits & Grow Food Forests

Perched in the mountains of Uttarkashi, Happy By Nature School is reimagining rural education. At its heart is a retired Army officer who changed the course of his own life to help children dream beyond their circumstances.

26th July 2026

Meet the 102-YO Lawyer Who Ran a Secret Jungle Radio During Goa’s Freedom Struggle

In 1955, Libia Lobo Sardesai took to Goa’s forests with her husband, Vaman Sardesai, to run a secret radio station that challenged Portuguese rule. Now 102 and a Padma Shri awardee, she recalls the broadcasts, danger, and determination behind Goa’s liberation struggle.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

After Losing His Brother to Burns, Padma Shri Bipin Ganatra Volunteered as a Firefighter for 50 Years

When Bipin Ganatra lost his brother to burns, he decided he would do his bit to help people who were caught in the crosshairs of fires in Kolkata.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

‘I Was the Anaesthesiologist, Gynaecologist & Paediatrician in the ‘60s’: 92-YO Doctor Who Helped Deliver 2 Lakh Babies

At this very moment, thousands of people in the world (most of them probably in Hyderabad) are going about their day, unaware of the quiet connection they share: the same hands that once brought them into the world, those of Dr Suri Srimathi’s.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

For 30 Years, This Nilgiris Forest School Has Used Local Culture to Educate Adivasi Children

At Vidyodaya School in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris, Adivasi children from PVTG communities learn through forests, culture, and mother tongue–based teaching instead of rote textbooks. Run with strong community involvement, the school blends ecology, local food knowledge, arts, and traditions into the curriculum while supporting first-generation learners with free education and holistic care.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Meet the Journalist Ensuring 3000+ Children in Bihar’s Kilns Hold Books Instead of Bricks

In Bihar’s brick kilns, where childhoods are often traded for labour, Anshu Jaiswal is rewriting destinies through Akshar Learning Centres. His Neev Ki Eent Foundation is turning bricks into books and giving children a chance at dignity and dreams.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Inside a Couple’s ‘Ulta Pulta’ School Where 70 Tribal Kids Learn Through Theatre, Farming & Forest Walks

Welcome to the Ulta Pulta (upside down) school, where mountains form the walls and the open sky serves as the roof. The school is the brainchild of Shrey and Jyoti, who founded Suraah — a student-centric alternate schooling movement in the hills of Uttarakhand.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

‘Why Are They Confined to Huts for Menstruating?’: Meet the Changemakers Ending Period Stigma in Gadchiroli

In parts of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, women are still confined to ‘kurma ghars’ during menstruation — a practice rooted in deep-seated stigma and unsafe traditions. NGOs like Making The Difference and SPARSH are revamping these huts.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

One Advocate’s Three-Decade-Long Fight Against Female Foeticide Exposed Rogue Doctors With 56 Decoy Ops

Advocate Varsha Deshpande has spent three decades fearlessly fighting female foeticide and gender violence, leading sting operations that brought notorious doctors to justice.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Behind the Headlines: The Childhood Story That Drove Safeena Husain To Educate 2 Million Girls

Educate Girls' founder, Safeena Husain's Magsaysay Award win is 18 years in the making. Through projects like Pragati and Vidya, the NGO is changing the lived realities of girls and women who have been cut off from the education system in India.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Left To Die on the Road, She Became ‘Maai’ to Thousands. Her Daughter Is Keeping That Legacy Alive

Sindhutai’s desire to ensure that no child suffered from a lack of love was born out of her story of being abandoned and left to die when she was pregnant. She became a mother to thousands of orphans.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Bihar to Harvard: How This Indian Teacher Taught at Malala Yousafzai’s School & in 18 Countries

Satyam Mishra has trained teachers across 18 countries and harbours a dream of changing the way teaching is perceived across borders.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

40 Years, 5 Million Lives: The Movement That Redefined Children's Rights in India

In 1979, a young Air India purser, Rippan Kapur, gathered Rs 50 with friends to change children's lives. That small act grew into CRY, impacting over 4.7 million children. This is the story of relentless hope, everyday heroes, and the power of believing in a better future.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

‘No One Should Face This’: After Losing Daughter, Dad Ensures No Rare Disease Patient Suffers Alone

Through policy framework shifts, appeals to the court for rare disease funds, and starting a centre in Bengaluru, Prasanna Shirol is ensuring that parents and children with rare diseases can live better lives.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

In Jails Across India, 3 Friends Are Giving 11000+ Prisoners the Chance They Deserve

Project Second Chance is founded on the belief that access to justice is a right that everyone must have, irrespective of their roots and privilege.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Shocked by What She Saw, Doctor Fought for Maternal & Child Dignity in a Bihar Hospital

Dr Taru Jindal, a Mumbai-based gynaecologist, decided to devote her time to transforming maternal care in the Motihari District Hospital in Bihar. When she saw the state of healthcare there, she knew something had to change. Driven by her mission, Dr Taru worked to improve conditions and ensure better care for patients.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

In Punjab, a 91-YO Colonel Is the Last Hope for Young Lives Drowning In Addiction

Col Dr Rajinder Singh heads the Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre in Punjab, where he helps youth who struggle with substance abuse and alcoholism transform their lives.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

‘The Work Isn’t Glamorous, It’s Difficult’: The Woman Who Built ‘Teach for India’ & Impacted Millions

Teaching goes beyond equipping children with theoretical concepts. It’s about leaving behind a legacy, Shaheen Mistri, founder of Teach For India, believes.

The Better India • 27th April 2026

Why Safety Shouldn’t Just Be a Girl’s Job: This Pune Initiative Wants To Raise Boys Right

In an effort to ensure the next generation of young men is gender-sensitive, Equal Community Foundation heads to the slums of Pune where they educate boys on gender equitable behaviours and why the onus of safety shouldn't always fall on women.