Case Study

TYCIA Foundation | Opening the Door to Discoverability

The background

Saraswati, all of a precocious 7, belongs to the Korku tribe living in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. Traditionally hunter-gatherers, the community has also built a name for itself in farming. They have a legacy of pioneering the cultivation of potato and coffee in Madhya Pradesh. They have always worked towards conservation and fighting malnutrition through sustainable practices. But today, many Korkus struggle to make a living.

It was then that she decided that she would become a doctor and save lives. For her, the government school she studied at was a gateway to a better future. Not just for her, but for her entire community. But, things changed when her family's financial situation got worse. Both her parents had to go out and find work. And tiny Saraswati had to stay home and take care of her younger siblings. Her dreams of being a saviour in a white coat would have died, if not for the TYCIA Foundation's 1000andyou project. The campaign aims to help 1,000 Korku girls in Khandwa go to school. A sum of ₹3,000 can see one girl through one academic year of schooling.

The abbreviation TYCIA unfolds into Turn Your Concern Into Action. The foundation's mission is to build "a nation where all people can gain equitable access to attain quality education, healthcare and livelihood opportunities, and where all the communities can realize their full potential and inequalities are minimized." 1000andyou is one of the many projects and campaigns that TYCIA actively runs and lends support to. The organisation's scope of work extends across sectors: education, criminal justice, youth leaderships and livelihoods. Its initiatives are as varied as its scope. From bringing education to rural and urban communities in dire need, TYCIA also helps educate prison inmates and works to rehabilitate them into society. It also anchors youth leadership and livelihood programmes in various parts of the country.