When Anaya was in third grade in a primary school outside Hyderabad, India, she was told she would have to arrive an hour before the other students each day to clean the classrooms and toilets. Once she reached her class, she was often isolated, bullied, and overlooked.

Because she was born into a tribal community, Anaya was defined as a second-class student who would never rise above manual labor status.

Although the caste system in India was formally abolished in 1950, the effects of a hierarchy that was in place for more than 3,000 years are still evident today. Many people in India still adhere to the view that those born into the impoverished lower castes and tribal groups are not equal and can never achieve upward mobility.

After years of isolation and mistreatment at school, Anaya entered a residential school specifically for girls from vulnerable groups in fifth grade. Her first semester was difficult. Four hours away from home and feeling homesick, she often cried at night and had trouble concentrating in the classroom. When her father visited, she begged to go home.

But all that changed for Anaya in sixth grade—when Project Sampoorna was implemented in her school.

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Editor’s note: The names of the Indian students throughout this story have been changed to protect their privacy.

Originally published by Carrie Gates at news.nd.edu on February 03, 2025.