In the dusty corridors of forgotten government centers and under tin roofs of migrant homes, one teenager is leading a quiet, radical revolution — fighting for children who have no documents, no schooling, no shelter, and often, no name.
At just 17, Anika Bhargava Mathur is India’s youngest activist, legally partnering with the government to rescue, reintegrate, educate, and protect children at the margins. Her work spans abandoned childcare homes, rural Anganwadi centers, and the invisible lives of children of migrant and trafficked women.
Anika’s journey began as the youngest intern in the Ministry of Women and Child Development, where she didn’t just observe — she acted. While monitoring over 200 cases of institutionalized and abandoned children, she uncovered gaps in India’s child protection system.
“It wasn’t enough to feel sorry. These children needed someone to read their files — and speak for them,” she says.
Throughout her internship, she saw a prevalent lack of incentive amongst the girls to go to school. This was because the condition of government-run schools and anganwadis was concerning.
That’s why she decided to launch Adhikar, an initiative following the Students for Grassroot Education approach. Anika became the youngest to legally adopt Anganwadi centers — the lifeline of early childhood development in India’s villages.
She leads a team of 15 students. Together they are revolutionising ( ie. repair, construction, water proofing of roof, painting, beautification and building gardens and bathrooms) 10+ Anganwadis across India.
Through this project, she is successfully enabling access to nutrition, safe spaces, and basic pre-education for 10,000+ children and pregnant women. She hopes to adopt 40 more anganwadis and revamp them by September 2025.
A major concern faced by her and her team is a lack of funds, difficulty with managing and negotiating with labor, and getting more anganwadis on board via government approvals.
She is actively seeking funds, low cost contractors and government support.
In a world where children are often the last to be heard, Anika is ensuring they are the first to be seen. Join her in rebuilding childhoods!
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