From Switzerland to Sagar Island: One woman’s mission to protect childhood in India

A comfortable life, a successful corporate career, and the freedom to travel are goals many people work towards for years. For Sandra Lavi Gojkovic, those boxes were already ticked—first in Switzerland, and later through a corporate stint in Dubai. Yet one question stayed with her: why should she have so much when so many children have so little?

In 2011, she made a decision that would reshape her life. She moved to India alone, not with a ready-made plan, but with the intent to understand what children and families needed on the ground.

Listening first: how a journey began on Sagar Island Sandra’s early work began with listening—meeting families and learning about their daily realities on Sagar Island. Rather than treating communities as “beneficiaries”, she approached them as partners with lived knowledge: parents who understood their children’s needs, young people with ambitions, and local leaders aware of what was and was not working.

That listening-first approach helped shape what came next: support centred on opportunity and safety. The aim was not only to help children access learning, but also to ensure childhood itself was protected—so children could grow in environments where their rights and wellbeing were taken seriously.

Over time, those initial conversations evolved into a larger, structured effort that could reach more families across neighbouring areas.

The India School Project: expanding opportunity across villages From these beginnings emerged The India School Project—an initiative associated with Sandra’s ongoing work in education and community support. According to the source material, her work today supports nearly 20,000 children and families across 30 villages.

While “education” is often discussed in terms of buildings, books, or enrolment, community-based change typically relies on consistency: showing up, building trust, and staying long enough to see children move from vulnerability towards stability. In rural and semi-rural contexts, this can also mean navigating practical barriers—distance, awareness, documentation hurdles, or a lack of safe support systems.

What stands out in Sandra’s journey is the long-term commitment behind the numbers. Supporting children at scale is rarely the result of a single intervention; it is usually built through networks—local relationships, community participation, and sustained attention to what children need at each stage of growing up.

Protecting childhood: child rights and safer futures The story is not framed only around schooling. The context describes Sandra’s wider child protection work—focused on children’s rights and on helping create safer futures for those who need them most.

Child protection can include many forms of support, such as ensuring children are safe, helping families access guidance, and strengthening community systems that reduce risk and prevent harm. At its heart is a simple principle: childhood is not merely a phase to “get through”, but a time that must be safeguarded so children can learn, play, and dream without fear.

Stories like this also highlight an often-overlooked reality: meaningful social impact is not always about a dramatic moment, but about choosing responsibility repeatedly—day after day, village after village. It is also a reminder that individuals can contribute to India’s development story not only through business and technology, but through patient, grassroots work that strengthens communities.

**Why it matters:** When child rights and education move together—supported by local trust and long-term commitment—children gain not just access to learning, but a safer foundation to grow into confident, capable adults.