How we tell stories
How we tell stories
The people in our stories are readers and librarians, not proof of our work. These are the rules we keep.
Last updated 1 October 2026
Consent, in writing
We ask before we write anything down, explain where it will appear, and record consent on a signed form kept in the office. For anyone under 18, a parent or guardian signs, and the child is asked too.
Anyone can withdraw consent at any time by calling or writing to us. We take the story down within a week.
No one can be identified
We change names and leave out faces, schools, villages and anything else that could identify someone. A story names the district at most.
We never tell the story of a child who is in care, in conflict with the law, or the victim of a crime, even anonymised. Indian law forbids identifying them, and we go further.
Pictures
We don't use photographs of the people in our stories. The pictures are of places and objects, and on this site they are generated stand-ins.
Figures
A story is one person's experience. We never present it as typical, and we never put a number in a story that isn't on the Impact page with its source.