Uttarakhand, a state in Northern India, has more than 120 bustis (or slums) and countless backward villages, which are tucked away in some of the most remote areas of the Himalayans.  Combined, these bustis and villages house thousands of children who have fallen victim to the harsh consequences and the dreadful reality of poverty. Most of these children and their families are well acquainted with illiteracy, hunger, and insufficient shelter. Due to many cultural stigmas and staunch beliefs rooted in the Indian society and tradition, most of these children and their families will never be granted the privilege, opportunity, or resources to improve their lives and change the trajectory of their communities.

Founded in 2018, Aeternumgrace Foundation (AGF) has strenuously worked toward reaching and impacting these underserved communities by establishing development centers that focus on training and education. AGF realizes that no two communities are exactly the same, nor do they struggle with the exact same issues. Therefore, Aeternumgrace’s strategy is to initially connect with each community by providing general, quality education to the school aged children residing in these communities. Once the center is firmly established and recognized as a trusted community partner, AGF works alongside persons of influence within the community to identify and prioritize the major issues at hand. It is at this point that the development centers are further expanded to accommodate the community’s needs. The organization’s main objection will always be to provide appropriate resources that’s sole purpose is for the training, educating, and equipping of the marginalized community in order that they may become self-sustainable and empowered to be a contributor to the society at large.

AGF is currently maintaining three development centers and is in the process of starting a fourth center. Currently, all AGF centers are providing quality education to school aged children, as well as offering a variety of specialized skill set trainings, such as stitching and tailoring work, to the mothers and elderly women of the community. These demographic groups are among the most repressed and demeaned within the Indian culture. AGF’s goal is to establish and maintain 100 centers in the state of Uttarakhand. It is projected that each center will reach and directly impact 50-100 lives. While the indirect impact has yet to be seen, the positive result is highly anticipated.