By GLENN FAWCETT | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In the 2025–2026 academic year, spanning April 2025 to March 2026, the Blossom Bus program is enabling 396 children—286 of them girls—from 38 villages in Haryana and Tamil Nadu to attend school safely and regularly.
In Tamil Nadu, our focus remains on bridging the gap to lower secondary education, while in Haryana, we are committed to helping girls complete Grade 12 and pursue higher education. One of the most impactful expansions this year is the Blossom Bus to College, which is providing daily transportation for 40 young women from remote areas to attend Mohna Girls College, located in a secluded region near the Uttar Pradesh border.
Ahead of this academic year, a significant development took place: for the first time in its history, the Government of Haryana began offering student transportation to Hathin Girls Senior Secondary School, a school where Blossom Bus had proudly provided exclusive transport for over 15 years. Recognizing the need to pivot where our support was most needed, we gracefully exited Hathin and redirected our resources to a remote Girls Secondary School near Kushak, serving students from 10 villages within a 6 km radius. Since April, we have been transporting 114 girls daily, ensuring that access to education remains uninterrupted.
But statistics only tell part of the story. The true impact of Blossom Bus is best captured through the voices of the girls themselves. We invite you to journey into the lives of Pooja, a Class 10 student at Solra Girls Secondary School, and Priya, a final-year Bachelor of Arts student at Mohna College. Their stories are windows into the courage, ambition, and transformation that define the Blossom Bus journey.
Pooja’s Path to Possibility:
Pooja, a soft-spoken student from Bholda village, is currently studying in Class 10. For Pooja, education is her only hope to change the story of her life and give her family a better tomorrow.
Her father is a daily wage laborer, and life at home is tough. Every rupee matters, and even basic needs are often met with compromise.
“My father works so hard just to manage our daily expenses,” Pooja says. “I know how difficult it is for him to afford anything extra. That’s why I never asked him for pocket money or for transport, even when I saw my friends taking autos to school. I always told myself, 'I can walk—it's just 3 kilometers.' But honestly, that walk wasn’t easy.”
“My village, Bholda, is about 3 kilometers from school. Walking in summer…the heat was unbearable. In the rainy season, the path would turn into slippery mud. I’ve reached school soaked, covered in dirt, sometimes after falling down. Most days, I was already exhausted before the first class.”
“Three years ago, I heard I could get a free ride to school on a service called Blossom Bus”, she says. “Since then, everything changed. I started attending school regularly, I could concentrate in class, and I didn’t have to worry about the difficult walk anymore. I can’t explain in words what this bus means to me. For many, riding in a bus is normal, but for me, it is a blessing.”
Now, in Class 10, Pooja is studying hard for her board exams. “This year is a turning point in my life. I want to score well and continue studying further. I want to become someone who can take care of my family and bring them out of poverty. I want my father to rest one day, knowing his daughter has made it. ”
Priya’s Journey Toward Her Dream:
Priya, a determined young woman from Solra village, is currently in the final year of her B.A. studies. Her eyes sparkle with a dream to wear the uniform of a police officer one day.
Priya comes from a family of six. Life in Solra, a small village, is simple but not without its struggles. Her parents work hard to support the family, and though resources are limited, they have always encouraged their children to study and dream big.
“In the last two years, my life has felt like walking on a tightrope; constantly trying to keep my balance while chasing a dream,” Priya says. “When I got accepted to college, I was filled with excitement and hope. But reality set in quickly. The college is 16 kilometers away from my village, and there was no transportation at all. I had no idea how I’d manage.”
“In my first year, I missed so many classes. There were days I sat at home watching the clock, wishing I could be in class but knowing I had no way to get there. Summers were exhausting, and during the rainy season, the roads would become so muddy and slippery that walking was dangerous.”
“But everything changed in my second year,” she continues, her voice lighting up. “That’s when I found out about the Blossom Bus service. It felt like someone had turned on a light in a room I had been sitting in alone and afraid. Finally, I had a way to reach my college every day. I started attending regularly, and it made such a big difference in my learning and confidence. This June, I completed my second-year exams. I know my results will reflect the hard work I was finally able to put in. For the first time in a long while, I feel like my dream is possible again.”
Thank you, GlobalGiving donors, for supporting girls in their studies. Your help has brought real change in their lives. Because of your support and the Blossom Bus, these girls now have the strength and opportunity to chase their dreams without fear.
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