The yellow bus pulls to the side of the road, opening the door for students to climb on board. Some students rub sleep out of their eyes and trudge to the back, while others bounce up the steps screeching, “Good morning.”

This school bus route is unique. It stops in the trash heap slums of Kolkata. Children run from behind piles of trash six to seven feet high to catch the bus taking them to receive a free education. The pungent odors of sewage and trash cling to their clothes. The mixing smells overwhelm anyone not used to it in the cramped quarters of this hot bus.

As the ride snakes in and out of the city slums, excitement grows about the day. A group of girls break out in song. Boys sitting in the back play “thumb war.”

Experience this ride from the slums to the school.