Lingamaiah Street in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, is home to a population of 697 people. It is an urban slum cluster where houses are usually made of brick-and-cement or what is known as pucca houses in India. Most of its inhabitants belong to a single social group, the Boyas, who are enlisted among the Backward Classes (BCs) of Andhra Pradesh. Telugu is the main spoken language. More than 90 percent of the households in this community lie below the poverty line.

Vending fruits in street-side makeshift stalls is the only source of livelihood for people living in this community. There are no primary health centres near the community although the hospital is just half a kilometre away. A school and college also fall in the vicinity of this community.

Magic Bus began working in this community since 2011. One of the challenges we face here is related to the participation of girls in Magic Bus’ sessions. Through intensive engagement with parents and the community at large, we have been able to overcome this reluctance towards the participation of girls in the public space.

At present, we have 60 children in our programme here.