Most schools in rural India lack basic facilities. Students don’t even have desks to write upon. They have to sit on the floor, with their backs hunched, for hours. This gives them bad posture, poor eyesight and bad handwriting.Aarambh, an NGO that works with children, was concerned about this problem. They wanted an easy and economical solution that would improve the quality of education.

We zeroed on discarded cartons. We approached corporate houses and retail outlets who donated them in huge quantities. Using these, we then created Help Desk – a folding desk that could also be used as a bag. We distributed Help Desks to several rural schools. This helped children study with ease. It also helped them carry books on their long walks to school. Help Desk played an important role in improving the quality of education in rural India. And it cost less than twenty cents per piece.

Strength and originality – Our strength was our unique design. Made out of discarded cartons, it was economical, ecological, portable and most of all useful for children in rural schools. And it cost less than twenty cents per piece.

It was most appropriate for the NGO Aarambh, because it was cost-effective and hence sustainable. It was easy for us to get corporate and retail outlets involved in this project. With their support, we could reach children in hundreds of rural schools.

Help Desk was very well received by children in rural schools. The idea of a desk that also works as a bag caught their fancy. It proved very useful in their day-to-day life at school. It helped them study more comfortably and cheerfully. Most importantly, it played an important role in improving the quality of education in rural India.