This document tells the story of Nikhil, a 9th grade student living in a remote village in India. Nikhil lives with his 93-year-old grandfather, who everyone calls "Grandpa." Grandpa is uneducated and does not know his own name. He gives Nikhil his old wedding ring to buy a mobile phone so Nikhil can connect to the world. Nikhil shares Grandpa's dreams of a better future, which include everyone having enough food, decent living conditions, access to education and healthcare, clean water and environment, and being connected through technology and infrastructure. Nikhil later learns that Grandpa's simple dreams align closely with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to improve life for all

1. Grandpa’s Dreams

2. Grandpa Nikhil Teacher
Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa

3. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
Hi, I’m Nikhil. I live in a remote village in India. I
study in 9th Grade in my neighborhood school
with not even the basic facilities. But I love my
school- a dilapidated shed with thatched roof that
leaks profusely when it rains.
My house is a hutment with no electricity or
drinking water. My best friends are my cow and
calf and a stray dog which has made our home his
shelter too.

4. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
This is my Grandpa. I don’t know his name.
Everybody calls him grandpa. He says he is 93
years old. He hasn’t gone to any school. He also
doesn't know his name. He has dreams and dreams
only.

5. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
I cried when he gave his old wedding ring to me
and asked me to buy a mobile for me. He wanted
me to connect to the rest of the world. I got a
mobile with internet access. I love the mobile but I
have to take it to my friends house a bit far to
recharge the device.

6. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
I requested my grandpa to share his dreams with
you all and he agreed. I invite you to listen to his
words.

7. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
All people call me grandpa and I don’t mind, though
some of them may be even older than me. Like me
there are many people without a name or identity,
with nothing to boast of except poverty.
It saddens me immensely when one of my neighbors
dies of ill-health without getting adequate medical
help.

8. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
I hear daily about many deaths because of natural calamity,
war and violence. My heart bleeds. So Nikhil, first thing is to
have a heart which pains at others’ pain, which suffers when
others- both animate and inanimate- suffer. For we are all
one.
I want everyone in the world to have sufficient food. I want
you to lead a life with self-respect like all others in the
world.
You must earn a decent living and share the fruits of your
labor with others.

9. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
You must happily share and not hoard your wealth. I would like
to see the trees grow, bear fruits and give shades to the people
who walk beneath them.
You should have access to the best education like all other kids in
the world. You should get the best medical attention when you
fall ill.
I would like to see rivers with clean water, oceans with a lot of
wealth underneath.

10. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
All the villages, towns and cities should be connected. Let there be electricity
and solar power in all villages. You love nature so that nature loves you back.
You preserve nature so that nature preserves you.
Live not in fear but in love of another. No body should be poor like me; no body
should be without any identity like me. Keep going with all the changes. Let the
world evolve to good, better and best. Children like you will get help from good
people from across the globe.
If each person contributes one rupee per month for a year globally, we will have
enough money to address these problems for the entire humanity.

11. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
I treated Grandpa’s dreams as his illusion
till I had opportunity to listen to a visiting
teacher from Delhi who came to our school
and talked about United Nations, the
world community and Sustainable
Development Goals.
By 2030, the time you become an
adult and will face the world,
Sustainable Development Goals
would have altered the human
destiny.

12. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
To achieve these 17 SD Goals, Peoples,
Governments, philanthropic, public and
private entities all over the world will
extend financial and other help .

13. Story of Nikhil & his Grandpa
My Grandpa’s native intelligence is the greatest
asset. Grandpa gave e better insight into SD Goals
in his own inimitable style. I used the internet in
my mobile which grandpa gave me to download the
details of Sustainable Development Goals.
I was astonished by the similarity of my grandpa’s
rustic wisdom and dreams with the refined SD
Goals developed by a massive global thought
process.