Field Journal: A Gentle Gesture in
Rajeshwari Nagar
On May 21, 2025
Rajeshwari Nagar Slum, Bengaluru
Beneficiaries: 30 School-Going Children
On May 21, 2025
Rajeshwari Nagar Slum, Bengaluru
Beneficiaries: 30 School-Going Children
How It All Began
In April 2025, Kalpaka Foundation set out with a simple question: Where is help still waiting?
We visited the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) in the hope of receiving direction. Thanks to the thoughtful guidance of Mr. Chethan, Chief Engineer at KSDB, our journey led us to Rajeshwari Nagar — a slum nestled within the city, home to hundreds of children still excluded from government support systems.
Walking the Path
There, we met Mr. Govinda Raj, a long-time resident who knew the heartbeat of the lanes. He walked with us through narrow paths and open hearts, pointing to homes where the cupboards were light but the hopes ran deep.
We discovered:
- 400 children navigating life amid scarcity
- 80 in need of immediate support
- And we began with 30 — because that’s what our hands could carry that day
The Afternoon of Giving
The mission was simple: reach those children. Recognize their hunger. Celebrate their effort. Deliver both food and dignity to children whose families work as rag pickers, cleaners, Asha workers, and watchmen.
Most lacked ration cards. Their Aadhaar cards proved they existed — but that wasn’t enough to get them help.
Thanks to Mr. Govinda Raj, the distribution was organized with fairness and compassion. He ensured that only the most deserving families received aid — a quiet example of community-led coordination at its best.
While we were there, a member of the Karnataka State Farmers’ Association, accompanied by his wife, arrived in quiet solidarity to support the effort. It was a moment that reminded us — change happens not with applause, but with presence.
What We Shared
Each child received:
A week’s supply of essential groceries: rice, dal, wheat flour, oil, salt, sugar
A geometry box — not a gift, but a statement: your learning matters
The Volunteers
Sixteen volunteers — quiet hands and watchful eyes — helped make it happen. They packed, verified, coordinated, and stood beside each child. Their names may fade, but their actions will echo.
What We Witnessed
In those few hours, we saw:
Calm children standing patiently in line
Two young girls who had scored above 95% in their SSLC exams, despite all odds
Children accepting help with quiet dignity
We also saw what doesn’t get recorded in official databases — like the invisible gaps between Aadhaar and ration cards. The families who slip through. The needs that can’t be measured in checkboxes.
Wherever care is guided with humility and local insight, like that shared by KSDB and Mr. Govinda Raj, change begins.
Kalpaka exists to walk alongside these communities — to support where it’s needed, gently and meaningfully.
Just ₹25 Can Light the Way — Support a Child’s Journey
What’s needed isn’t grand. It’s participation.
Just
₹25
Enough to extend this quiet promise to one more child.