Every year, thousands of families in Bihar move from one place to another in search of employment. A significant number of these families work at brick kilns. For them, migration is not simply about changing locations. It means changing homes and workplaces. In the process, children’s education often takes a back seat.

When a family leaves its village for a few months to work at a brick kiln, its children usually move with it. Schools may be located far away, and a lack of essential documents can make it difficult to access government services. Limited awareness of welfare schemes adds to the challenges. The impact is felt not only in children’s education but also in the entire family’s access to social security.

Anshu Kumar Jaiswal from Bihar had not encountered this challenge for the first time through a report or a set of statistics. He had witnessed it on the ground.

Between 2019 and 2021, while working with the Piramal Foundation as a Gandhi Fellow, he arrived in Sheikhpura. It was here that he came face to face with the lives of families living and working at brick kilns.

This experience changed the direction of his work. He eventually went on to establish the Neev Ki Eent Foundation (NKEF). Today, the NGO works to improve access to education for children of brick kiln workers, help families obtain essential documents, connect them with government welfare schemes, and strengthen local leadership.

Anshu’s early education and career gradually led him towards development and public institutions.

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