Sudha is a Grade 1 teacher at Bridge Bhimadole in Andhra Pradesh. When she was growing up, she says: “We didn’t have a lot of money so people never really respected my parents choice to complete my education.” Following school, Sudha would travel 40km every day to get to college; then, when she got home, she would offer private tuition to encourage girls to stay in school and complete their studies. She adds: “I used to tell people that education was important, and can change your life. Nobody took me seriously.”

After joining Bridge, she’s become part of the change that she always bore witness to – the change that a quality education can provide to individuals and communities.

“Now, I have the respect of people in my community. They ask me for my suggestions on education and colleges,” she says.

In addition to her work as a Bridge teacher, she enjoys participating in the School Management Committee, which ensures the proper execution of lessons plans and reviews the learning of all of the pupils.