Growing Up in the Elephant Corridor: The Realities of Life in Saraswatipur
For the children in Saraswatipur, North East India, daily life is already a struggle with limited water, unreliable electricity, and then the the added danger of elephants.
In this remote village, human-wildlife conflict is a constant reality. Each year, elephants destroy homes and infrastructure, forcing the community to rebuild what little they have.
The people here live in what is known as an elephant corridor, where nature and human life meet in a fragile and often dangerous balance.
When Khelo Rugby, one of our local partners under Atlas Asia, first came to Saraswatipur, the difficulties of everyday life for children were clear to see.
Children were dropping out of school, and teenage marriage and pregnancy were common. Water contamination caused illness, and basic sanitation meant walking into the forest.
Life for the children of Saraswatipur was shaped by routine survival rather than opportunity.
Listening to the Children: The Birth of the Sunrise Centre
Faced with so many problems, Khelo Rugby’s team knew they could not fix everything at once. Instead, they began by asking the children what they most wanted to change. Their answer was unanimous: education. This was especially true for the girls who had started playing rugby, who saw education as a way to transform their own lives and those of their families, as for many families, education was a distant dream, an unaffordable luxury.
Schools often lacked computers, teachers were frequently absent, and classrooms were basic at best. Some children travelled up to 7km to attend school, while others simply gave up.
Out of these conversations, the idea for the Sunrise Centre was born. Khelo Rugby created a place where children could study in safety and dignity. The centre provides running water, clean bathrooms, and a welcoming space where children can focus on their studies, learn English through the StudyCat project, and take classes to support their schoolwork. It also offers a small gym for exercise, a kitchen to prepare healthy meals, and a protective wall, even keeping curious elephants safely at bay.
A Safe Space for Learning and Growth
What makes the Sunrise Centre remarkable is not only the physical safety it provides, but the emotional and educational stability it brings to an entire community.
It is a sanctuary where children can be themselves, free from the immediate dangers and pressures of daily life. It gives them room to breathe, to learn, and to plan for a better future.
For the parents of Saraswatipur, too, the centre has brought reassurance. They know their children are not only protected from wildlife or unsafe conditions but are also part of something meaningful.
The Sunrise Centre demonstrates how intentionally created safe spaces can provide children with both security and purpose.
Through partnerships like this, The Atlas Foundation continues to show that creating safe spaces is not just about protection. It is about opportunity, education, healthcare, and inclusion.
The Wider Impact of Khelo Rugby’s Work
The transformation across all communities Khelo is reaching has been profound. Through Khelo Rugby’s education programmes, graduation rates have soared from 18% to 80%. In most villages, no one had ever gone to university, but today, 20 children are enrolled in further education. As more children choose to stay in school, cycles of deprivation, child marriage, and early pregnancy have sharply declined, reduced by an estimated 85%.
These changes reach far beyond academic results. They represent a cultural shift, one where children are encouraged to learn and build ambitions that extend beyond the boundaries of their village.
