From left: Siblings Neha, Sagar and Esha KaushikPublic health graduate students Neha Kaushik and Sagar Kaushik, along with Esha Kaushik, senior in psychology, siblings originally from Weston, Connecticut, are supporting the education and medical aid of women in underprivileged areas of India through a nonprofit organization they started called One Life at a Time. The initiative offers young women the opportunity to receive an all-expenses-paid high school education, with an option for a college education as well.
“Research has shown that gender disparities, education and health are the most important issues to be addressed in rural areas of India,” said Sagar Kaushik. But education is difficult to access, and “if parents manage to afford to send a child to school, the daughter is overlooked since the son’s education is considered more important,” Neha Kaushik added. “Also, the lack of health care for family members usually is a limiting factor prohibiting children from attending school. We wish to change this mindset and make education more accessible for females and children while also providing access to health care through medical camps.”
One Life at a Time has already had success: The initiative has provided medical care to 10,000 people and started four village schools. Through their Clinton Global Initiative University project, “we will add seven additional schools and provide access to technological competencies to the women and children,” Esha Kaushik said. “We hope to not only create a difference in the lives of the children and women in rural India, but to also learn from others on how to better approach this commitment in an effective and efficient manner.”