Brighten the Future for Dhanbad's Coal Mines Children.

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“Sita is only 8 years old, but she has already lost both her parents to the coal mines. One of her sisters was kidnapped, and another died because of coal dust. Now, she lives with her weak grandmother, who collects trash to feed her.

When I see Sita smile after getting a notebook or a plate of food, I remember why I am here. These children have nothing, yet they still dream. I want to be there to keep those dreams alive.” — Sunita Devi

‘When I saw children with burnt hands carrying coal, I knew I had to act’

Sunita Devi has been working as a teacher at Sahadeva Foundation for the last six years. She is dedicated to helping poor children who do not have access to education.

After her marriage, she noticed that many families in her community spent their entire day working in the coal mines, carrying heavy baskets of coal just to earn a small income. For them, survival was the first priority, and education felt unimportant when even food was not guaranteed.

She saw children with burnt hands from carrying hot coal—something she could never forget. It moved her to join Sahadeva Foundation and try to bring change.

Before Sahadeva’s help reached them, what she saw was heartbreaking. Many children were weak, unclean, and often sick because of dirty water, coal dust, and smoke. With no proper living conditions, parents had no choice but to send their children to work. Illness, injuries, and even deaths were sadly very common.

 I knew I had to stand with them and bring education into their lives.—Sunita Devi

‘Stories of children and their families broken by coal mines haunt me…’

Every child Sunita teaches carries a pain far beyond their age, and their families face the same struggles. Sita’s father died of tuberculosis after years in the mines, and her mother, who was paralyzed, kept working until she passed away, leaving Sita with her 75-year-old grandmother.

Akash, an orphan raised by his aunt, was able to study for a few years, but later fell seriously ill and passed away despite all efforts to save him.

Aman nearly lost his leg in an accident, but with Sahadeva’s help he recovered and is now back in school. Beyond the children, Sunita has seen an elderly widow surviving only on ration support, a man left disabled after being crushed by coal rocks, and a young girl who lost both parents and was left alone until the Foundation stepped in.

“Each story is filled with pain, yet it reminds me why I must keep going, because even if we cannot change the past, we can still give these children and families a chance at dignity and hope.” —Sunita Devi

‘We started under a tree, today we feed and teach hundreds’

Sahadeva Foundation started with Sunita teaching a few children under a tree, sitting on mats. At first, parents were unsure, but she convinced them by assuring that the Foundation would provide food, books, clothes, and slippers if their children came to study. Over time, this small effort grew into a school running from a small government room. Along with education, the Foundation now provides meals, clothes, and study materials, and also supports struggling families and elderly people with ration and basic medical help.

“Our promise to parents was simple. Give us two hours for your child’s education, and we will handle the rest. That trust brought children here, and today many of them are the first in their families to study.” —Sunita Devi

‘Help us replace hammers with pens, and give these children a bright future’

Running the program is a daily financial struggle, as costs like teacher salaries, stationery, and especially food depend on limited donations. Today, Sahadeva provides one meal a day to around 200 to 250 children and elderly people, but many still go home hungry. On most days, about 85 to 100 children sit together in a small room, even though the total number of students has grown from just 20 in the early days to more than 200 now.

“My dream is simple. I want these children to hold pens, not hammers. I want them to grow up healthy, educated, and free from the coal mines, but I cannot do it alone. With your support, we can give them the future they deserve.” —Sunita Devi