Srinagar, May 10 -- In a modest home tucked into the village of Chewakalan in South Kashmir's Pulwama district, a soft-spoken young woman begins her day with a chalkboard, a prayer, and a purpose.

Soliha Jan, 27, is not a typical teacher. She doesn't draw a salary or work in a school building. Her classroom is wherever her students gather. Under tin roofs, in shared rooms, or in open yards. She teaches English, science, and math to children from poor families, all without charging a rupee.

Her journey to this point was not easy. For most of her teens and early twenties, Soliha battled severe depression. She describes those years as isolating, confusing, and silent. "It felt like I didn't belong anywhere," she says.

Mental health care r...