This is what the journey to school looks like for children in Dhiridih village, about 40 km from Ghatsila, Jharkhand.

A submerged bridge. Flowing water up to their knees. A father carrying his young child across so he doesn't miss a day of class.

In remote tribal areas, there are no easy commutes. Some of our schools are 30 kilometres from the nearest main road, accessible only through unpaved paths that monsoons turn into streams.

Yet attendance at our Free Tribal Schools stays above 90%.

Why? Because what waits on the other side matters.

At Sri Sri Vidya Mandir, children — most of them first-generation learners from low-income families — receive free, holistic education. Academics, computer skills, pranayama, meditation, sports, personality development. Teachers here are not just educators. They are mentors, guides, and an extended family these children can count on.

The Art of Living has been running free schools in tribal, rural, and urban slum areas for over four decades. Today, there are more than 1,356 schools across 22 states, reaching over 1,00,000 children. 48% of the student base is girls. The dropout rate is minimal.

In Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district, where Dhiridih falls, our schools operate in some of the most remote pockets of the state. Infrastructure is sparse. Roads are unpaved. Electricity is unreliable. But inside the classroom, children learn robotics, archery, drawing, football, and computer programming — alongside their regular curriculum.

As Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says:

"Education is not complete without love, compassion and caring."

These children walk through rivers to reach a place that treats them like family. The least we can do is make sure that place keeps its doors open.

Support our Free Tribal Schools → https://vvki.artofliving.org/make-a-contribution.php