Two wheels, two pedals, a set of gears—and two sisters from India’s Rogolo village are on the move. Sashmita, 19, and Chirasmita, 15, grew up in poverty, until World Vision gave their family a cow. That was the beginning of the family’s thriving milk business. Today, their father runs the business; their mother is active in the community’s microfinance group. And the girls are excelling in school. Sashmita, a former sponsored child who now attends college, is studying to become a teacher. In a nation where only six in ten adults can read, Sashmita is inspired to help others learn. As the sisters ride into a promising future, their lives are serving as beacons to other girls along the way.

Written by Nathalie Moberg
Photo © 2012 Kit Shangpliang/World Vision