Two TFI fellows — one from JNU, one from IIT — share what 2 years of teaching low-income kids in Mumbai and Delhi actually involved. Honest, not glossy.

TFI fellowships place graduates in low-income classrooms for 2 years at Rs 17,500-22,000/month stipend. The application process is competitive (8-12% selection rate) but the reality of the fellowship surprises most fellows. Week-to-week reality: 50-60 hours of work including classroom time, lesson prep, parent meetings, and Sunday training. Emotional load is heavy — you're working with kids facing structural poverty and the wins are slow. Most fellows feel burnout cycles around months 4, 9, and 16. What the fellowship gives back: a working knowledge of India's public education system, professional skills that compound (project management, stakeholder management, resilience), and a network of 4500+ alumni now in policy, education, founding roles. Career outcomes post-fellowship are strong — but only if you treat it as foundation, not destination.