BSS student enters National Cadet Corps

Getting ahead in India when you are from a family of beggars and of the untouchable caste is a major achievement. Growing up in a slum with alcoholics, little food and shelter and probably a daily beating or two can either make or break a child. Buddha’s Smile School, in Varanasi, India has produced many more…

Priyanka, the girl who loves school

You wouldn’t think it, but most BSS children look forward to going to school each day. Priyanka, who has been a student at BSS since 2006 and is now 14 yrs old and studying in class 5, is no exception. In 2013 Priyanka had to drop-out of school for two years because her mother was more…

Children who are forced to beg

Varanasi is a colorful but impoverished metropolis overflowing with cultural significance yet haunted by the many hundreds of thousands of untouchable children. Children who are forced to beg, living their lives in poverty, ignorance and abuse. Buddha’s Smile School (BSS), founded and directed by teacher Rajan Kaur, feeds, educates and nurtures 350 of Varanasi’s untouchable more…