Across 15 nomadic, denotified, Adivasi, rural, and tent-based settlements in Thane District spanning Ambernath, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar, Vitthalwadi, Kalyan, and Dombivli, a remarkable shift is taking place. Young people, many of them the very first in their families to complete school and junior college, are now daring to dream of higher education. They represent more than just academic progress, they represent a historic breakthrough in communities long denied access to formal learning.
Anubhuti’s all-women team has worked deeply and consistently to identify, engage, and walk alongside these first-generation learners ensuring that they are not lost to the gaps that so often appear between school completion and access to higher education. For youth and families who have fought against generations of marginalization to reach this point, the stakes are high. What they have achieved is not just personal success it is a collective victory that deserves systemic recognition and support.
The Learning Scholarship Program is one such intervention. It begins with a six-session foundational course and continues with a year-long journey of mentorship, counseling, career guidance, and hands-on support to help youth navigate institutional barriers. Beyond financial aid, the program offers solidarity, information, and a space to build confidence and vision.
Also visible in this milestone are youth from Anubhuti’s Guts Fellowship—who facilitated career stalls as part of the Career Leadership Fair module, standing as peer leaders and mentors in their own right.
Together, they signal the possibilities of a inclusive future, one where education is not a privilege, but a right realized through collective effort, systemic support, and the resilience of grassroots youth.
