Frank Islam talks to A J Philip, Chief Executive of Deepalaya (www.deepalaya.org), a non-profit organisation for underprivileged children on what inspired him to take up the noble cause, the power of education to transform lives, empowerment of women, how Deepalaya sustains itself, the challenges NGOs face in India, NRIs' contribution to support the underprivileged in the country, the need to ensure that girls have access to good education and why affordable higher education remains a distant dream in India.   A J Philip can be reached at ajphilip@deepalaya.org