Abandoned at 2, He Now Helps 3 Million Women and Children

A two-year-old boy sits in one of Delhi's most dangerous slums, holding his three-day-old sister, abandoned by his parents with no one coming to help. That boy grew up to create a movement that would transform millions of lives across India.

Devendra Kumar survived by selling balloons on the streets at age eight, dodging drug gangs and enduring violence in Dakshinpuri, a crime-ridden slum cluster. His breakthrough came as a teenager when he started volunteering with Delhi Police, accidentally earning protection from the gangs that had terrorized him.

That early lesson in the power of showing up for others became his life's work. In 2012, Kumar founded Ladli Foundation, which now operates across 50 districts in 12 states, focusing on protecting girls, providing healthcare, education, and skills training to communities often overlooked by traditional development programs.

The foundation's achievements are remarkable. In 2020, it earned Special Consultative Status with the UN Economic and Social Council, and it has received a National Award from the Indian government.

Kumar's childhood scars drive his most innovative programs. He organized a 25,000-person marathon in Delhi in 2017, deliberately focused on getting men to rally for women's safety. Ladli has coordinated community weddings for 2,100 girls from low-income families, insisting on police background checks for grooms and providing brides with health insurance.

His most creative idea reimagines a Hindu tradition. Instead of giving girls small cash gifts during Navratri and forgetting them, Ladli's Kanya Pujan program asks families to commit to supporting one girl for nine consecutive years, covering school fees, health checkups, and nutrition. Some participating families now treat these girls like their own daughters.

The Ripple Effect

Kumar challenges India's donation culture with an unusual message: don't just send money. He wants every household to produce at least one trained volunteer who can run surveys, assess needs, and measure impact.

The strategy is working. Ladli has partnered with USAID and state governments on vaccination drives, tuberculosis elimination efforts, and gender sensitization sessions at schools. With mandatory corporate social responsibility spending already flowing in India, Kumar believes a citizen volunteer base would multiply the value of every rupee invested.

The foundation is now pursuing General Consultative Status at the UN and planning expansion into the US, Europe, and Australia. A movement born in a Delhi slum could soon reshape how the world thinks about volunteering itself.

"That struggle should remain alive," Kumar says, speaking of his childhood. "The day I forget it is the day I lose my way." Somewhere in India right now, another abandoned child might be learning that the way forward begins with helping someone else first.