From the snowcapped Himalayans to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India includes a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures. Its wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of India’s citizens live. The town of Dornakal, located about 100 miles east of Hyderabad in the southeastern Indian state of Telangana, is no exception to these maladies.

In this agricultural region, rice is the primary crop and source of income for thousands of workers. Poverty here is extensive, especially in years when droughts destroy the rice harvest. Since so many families cannot adequately provide for their children’s education or basic needs, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves as a beacon of hope. Named in honor of the father of Children Incorporated-founder Jeanne Clarke Wood, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves impoverished children in this region by providing for their basic, immediate needs while investing in their futures by way of a well-rounded education — the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.