The challenges faced by youth in low-income communities in India
Unequal access to quality education continues to affect many young people living in low-income urban and rural communities across India, especially girls and women. In these settings, schools and families often lack the resources to equip children and youth with the skills, guidance, and opportunities they need for a fair chance in life. As a result, social mobility remains limited, and the cycle of poverty persists: where students come from continues to define their future.
How does Reality Gives support these communities?
Operating at the heart of these communities is Reality Gives, an organisation that believes education is the most powerful tool to break the cycle of poverty. Since 2009, they have focused on providing children and youth with access to equitable, quality learning. Their programs are grounded in lived experience, with offices and centres embedded in the very communities they serve: the urban slums of Dharavi (Mumbai) and Sanjay Colony (Delhi), and the rural community of Naujheel (Mathura).
Reality Gives’ community centres and core programmes
In each location, Reality Gives runs vibrant community centres — safe, inspiring spaces where young people and community members can access education, skills and support they wouldn’t otherwise have.
Their core programmes focus on English and digital literacy, helping bridge the gap between local-language schooling and the demands of higher education and employment, where English fluency and digital competence open doors to greater opportunities. They also offer an Employability Programme that equips learners with career guidance, exposure to industries and practical tools for job readiness. Beyond academics, Reality Gives enriches lives through workshops and extracurricular activities that promote creativity, curiosity and awareness around key issues such as health, financial literacy and inclusion.
These programmes are delivered by a unique mix of external experts and trained community educators, using in-house curricula designed to reflect students’ real-life contexts and needs. The combination of a committed team, quality trainers, engaging learning spaces and tailored programmes aims to equip students with the confidence, skills and self-awareness to thrive — to learn, grow and earn like anyone else.
"A journey beyond travel — we have championed Reality Gives' work, year after year, through a shared commitment to community development."
How Explorations Company partners with Reality Gives
Since 2019, we’ve been proud to partner with Reality Gives, whose grassroots educational work deeply aligns with our belief that travel should be a force for good. Over the years, our guests have had the unique opportunity to visit Reality Gives’ communities, not as tourists, but as learners and supporters – gaining a deeper understanding of the people and places they visit.
Through our partnership, we have supported Reality Gives’ community-led educational programmes, including their work at the Community Centre in Dharavi. Our 2025 contribution reflected our shared commitment to responsible tourism and supporting initiatives that create meaningful opportunities through education.
2025 Contribution Impact
In 2025, our support helped sustain Reality Gives’ work in Dharavi by contributing towards the community centre’s operations and supporting Prathiba, a Reality Gives Teacher Development Trainer and English Teacher. Prathiba’s journey from student to teacher and teacher-trainer reflects the long-term impact of Reality Gives’ approach, with her work helping to strengthen learning opportunities for students and educators alike. Read our interview with Prathiba here.
Throughout the year, the community centre continued to provide a safe and consistent space for learning, with programmes including English and computer literacy classes, creative activities and workshops focused on practical skills such as digital literacy, teamwork and confidence-building.
We are grateful to have supported Reality Gives’ continued efforts to empower communities through education and to have been part of their important work in 2025.
How can you engage with Reality Gives once in India?
Following a two to three-hour educational tour of Dharavi, during which you will see a wide range of activities such as pottery making, embroidery and soap making, you could additionally participate in a family cooking or pottery class. There will also be the opportunity to interact with Reality Gives students and/or the local team at their community centre in Dharavi. There are no age restrictions.
