About Us

A small step can change the direction of a life.

Kadam is a youth-led foundation working with communities through education, women's empowerment, and youth development.

Kadam volunteers and children gathered at a community learning session

Young people and communities, working side by side.

The story of Kadam · 20 March 2020

One step that travelled miles.

Kadam began with one encounter near Ms. Prachi Dwivedi's home—and the decision not to look away.

01 · The encounter

A question about hunger—and another about school.

On 20 March 2020, Ms. Prachi saw children near her home searching for food in a dustbin. She went to speak with them and brought food supplies from her home.

“Didi, bhookh lagi hai. Humne kuch nahi khaya.”“Sister, we are hungry. We haven't eaten anything.”

As they spoke, she asked whether they went to school. They said they did not. The moment brought two needs into view: immediate hunger, and children missing out on an opportunity to learn.

Ms. Prachi was still a schoolgirl. She had no organisation, team, funding, or roadmap—but she knew she could not let the encounter become just a memory.

Children taking part in a community learning session

02 · 21 March 2020

A classroom in the veranda.

The next day, Ms. Prachi began teaching 10 children in her home's veranda. Barande Wali Kaksha—“a classroom in the veranda”—started with a small space, a few children, and the belief that every child deserves an opportunity to learn.

More children gradually joined. Over the next two years, the initiative grew into a learning centre that reached approximately 50–100 people.

“We could start with what we had, where we were.”

03 · 2022 and beyond

When one classroom was no longer enough.

In 2022, Ms. Prachi moved away from the place where the work had begun. Leaving the veranda behind raised a new question: how could the effort reach children who could not come to that classroom?

A WhatsApp group and social media helped connect people across Bhopal. Volunteers joined, shared ideas, and began taking responsibility in their own communities. Over time, Kadam expanded beyond Bhopal to more than 15 cities.

Kadam volunteers and community members gathered for an indoor learning session

What guides us

Our mission and vision.

Mission

To empower grassroots communities through youth-led initiatives in education, ecological action, and social welfare—building transparent, decentralized models of empathy and self-reliance that foster generational dignity.

Vision

A resilient, equitable India where every young citizen possesses the agency, resources, and civic platform to uplift their neighborhood and build a dignified future for all, free from systemic neglect and ecological degradation.

Our work

Learning. Leadership. Community.

Explore Kadam's education, youth leadership, women empowerment, and community wellbeing initiatives.

Education · Child literacy

Project Shiksha

Volunteer educators support children in underserved communities with foundational learning and regular study habits.

Activities

Weekend learning camps, remedial reading and math circles, student stationery drives, and community parent-teacher dialogues.

Get involved

Youth leaders conducting a classroom session with school students

Youth leadership · Civic engagement

Project Samanvay

The project connects young people across educational institutions with local communities through orientation, workshops, and collaborative grassroots work.

Activities

Inter-collegiate orientation bootcamps, community field weekends, fellowship circles, and collaborative social action.

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Women attending a Kadam Foundation empowerment session

Women Empowerment

Kadam’s women-focused work brings together skill-building, vocational learning, and financial literacy.

Activities

Vocational and handicraft workshops, financial numeracy classes, menstrual hygiene awareness, and savings groups.

Get involved

Emotional wellbeing · Listening circles

Heal with Kadam

Peer-listening and emotional support spaces for youth and community members experiencing distress, academic pressure, or isolation.

Important to know

Heal with Kadam offers peer listening and emotional first aid. It is not a substitute for clinical psychiatric care, formal therapy, or medical diagnosis. The initiative maintains escalation channels to certified mental healthcare professionals and distress hotlines when advanced support is needed.

Continue the journey

Take a step with Kadam.

Volunteer Explore our work