McLean Teen's Music​ Lessons Help Fund Legal Aid Work In India

MCLEAN, VA — A 16-year-old student from McLean has raised more than $16,000 by teaching traditional Carnatic vocal music and singing at local farmers markets to help residents in rural villages in India.

In 2023, Anvika Chandagari founded Nyaya Setu, an online platform helping people living in rural communities across India find affordable legal services.

Chandagari was inspired to get involved after hearing her mother talk about some of the difficulties she's faced working as an attorney in India.

"Every time she came back, she'd complain a lot about the court system," Chandagari told Patch recently. "She'd always emphasized how flawed and disorganized it was, because the main language system in these court trials in India is English. Oftentimes, especially in rural villages, the people in them don't really know how to speak English."

The language barrier makes it difficult for some people to find an attorney they can afford, who can file the necessary legal paperwork in English.

Anyone seeking legal services in India can fill out a contact form on the Nyaya Setu website and share what type of legal help they need, what challenges they may be facing, how much they can afford, and the best way to contact them. Chandagari then follows up with a phone or Zoom call.

"We just talk about what they need and what they've been struggling with," she said. "I hear a lot of different stories from these calls that feel really emotional."

To date, Chandagari has paired clients with specialized lawyers in four cases, reducing costs through negotiation and securing pro bono commitments when possible. She's also helped more than 20 people obtain free legal advice and consultations.

Since Chandagari and her family visit India at least once every summer, she's been able to promote Nyaya Setu by posting flyers throughout many rural villages. She also uses WhatsApp, which is the big messaging platform in India.

For the past four years, Chandagari has hosted Sangeetham bootcamps, where she would teach young children the basics of Carnatic vocal music, a form of Indian classical singing.

"I wanted to connect a lot more with my culture," she said. "It was something I did with my sister because it was just fun, and I just wanted to spread that to other people. Later, I created Nyaya Setu. I decided if I need to create funding for this, why not use a Sangeetham Bootcamp to try to raise donations."

Through these lessons and by singing at local farmers markets, Chandagari has raised enough money to pay for the Nyaya Setu website and promote the work it does.

Now a senior at BASIS Independent McLean, Chandagari plans to carry on with Nyaya Setu and possibly expand its reach.

"Maybe other countries' legal systems aren't as flawed as India, but there are definitely flaws, and there are definitely those in need that don't have access to legal services," she said. "I just want to continue expanding this to so many different people, continuing to help as many people as I can with this."