▁and ▁A ga ▁Khan ▁Foundation . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁story ▁of ▁Hand ▁in ▁Hand ▁begin ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁with ▁two ▁Swedish ▁teachers ▁- ▁Ol le ▁and ▁G unnel ▁Bl om q v ist ▁- ▁visit ing ▁the ▁district ▁of ▁Kan che ep ur am . ▁Children ▁tradition ally ▁constit uted ▁a ▁cheap ▁source ▁of ▁labour ▁for ▁the ▁we aving ▁industry ▁in ▁Kan che ep ur am , ▁and ▁parents ▁who ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁permanent ▁jobs ▁would ▁send ▁their ▁children ▁to ▁master ▁we a vers . ▁Br ing ing ▁such ▁children ▁out ▁of ▁labour ▁was ▁Hand ▁in ▁Hand ' s ▁initial ▁focus . ▁▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁Bl om q v ists ▁came ▁in ▁contact ▁with ▁Per cy ▁Bar ne vik , ▁who ▁became ▁a ▁spons or ▁to ▁the ▁organization . ▁Bar ne vik ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁the ▁teachers ' ▁work ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁Hand ▁in ▁Hand ▁India ▁was ▁founded ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁by ▁Bar ne vik ▁and ▁Dr ▁Kal p ana ▁Sank ar ▁in ▁the ▁Indian ▁state ▁of ▁T amil ▁N adu . ▁The ▁Hand ▁in ▁Hand ▁network ▁has ▁operated ▁programs ▁in ▁ 1 0 ▁countries ▁across ▁Asia ▁( A fg han istan , ▁India , ▁Camb odia ▁and ▁My an mar ) ▁and ▁East ▁Africa ▁( K en ya ▁and ▁R w anda ). ▁ ▁Hand ▁in ▁Hand ▁receives ▁fund ing ▁from ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁different ▁sources ▁including ▁individuals , ▁corpor ations , ▁bi