IN India, archaic notions of girls’ education combined with economic stresses force many girls to stay away from school. Some of the concerns in low-income and rural areas include safety, the absence of separate and functional sanitation facilities, inaccessibility to sanitary napkins, and poor school infrastructure. These conditions adversely affect dropout rates with various studies suggesting only one in three girls complete secondary school education.
The Constitution of India provides the Right to Education to children from 6 to 14 years of age, but this right alone does little to ensure access to quality education for all, especially girls. But there are several NGOs who are working towards solving problems related to girls’ education and Give, India’s best crowdfunding website, is coming to the aid of these organisations.
How Give supports girls’ education
To push past financial hurdles for various causes, including girls’ education, one of the solutions in the social sector is to raise funds through online crowdfunding platforms. Give hosts several fundraisers and campaigns for top NGOs supporting girl children from low-income families in rural and urban areas to give them access to quality education.
Education to illuminate lives of girl children
Educate Girls and K.C. Mahindra Trust are two beacons among such NGOs that have for decades worked for girls’ education across India. Educate Girls was founded with the support of education experts and partner NGOs such as UNICEF, Pratham Rajasthan and others to develop one of the most cost-effective and sustainable models to educate girls in India. It strives to create a better future for girls helping them to break the cycle of poverty through education. By clicking the link, you can choose to support Educate Girls on the Give platform.
Founded in 1953, the K.C. Mahindra Trust has led multiple initiatives to improve the lives of deserving students through education. The Trust’s ‘Project Nanhi Kali’ is one of India’s most extensive programmes that help underprivileged girls complete ten years of schooling. Under this project, young girls from underprivileged backgrounds receive academic support and essential supplies such as school kits, books and stationery. This programme ensures that girls attend school with dignity. The project has supported over 4.5 lakh girls ever since its launch in 1996. You can click the ‘Project Nanhi Kali’ link and support the mission on Give, India’s best crowdfunding website.
Empowering the marginalised girl child
Milaan Foundation and Ibtada have been working tirelessly over the last two decades to empower the girl child. Both based in north India, Milaan Foundation envisions an inclusive and equal world for girls. It strives to realise this vision through the empowerment of young girls from marginalised communities. So far, 40,000 children have benefited through interventions led by the Milaan Foundation.
Ibtada has been working to empower girl children in the Alwar district of Rajasthan by promoting women’s institutions and girls’ education in the area. The organisation works closely with government schools to enhance the learning levels of students and focuses on encouraging girls from underprivileged backgrounds to enrol into schools. Through one of its many interventions, Ibtada provides free computer education to girls from rural poor households. It also runs a programme through sessions in local government schools and village-level Girls Resource Centres, to instil confidence in young girls, provide them with exposure to the wider world and sharpen their leadership skills.
Holistic education for destitute girl children
Aarti for Girls and Ek Tara work toward providing holistic education to girl children as the pathway to secure a strong and stable future. Aarti for Girls was formed in 1992 in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, with the mission to take care of destitute girl children. It was one of the foremost orphanages in the district to be set up by an NGO. Today, Aarti fosters and supports abandoned girls by providing them with shelter, education and the support they need to succeed in life. Over 650 students from less fortunate backgrounds are presently enrolled at Aarti School, providing food, clothing, medical and mental healthcare for the girls under its care. You can visit the NGO page on Give and donate to Aarti for Girls.
Ek Tara started its earliest interventions in 2011 with a small group of children and women from impoverished families in the slums of Topsia and Tiljala in Kolkata, West Bengal. The organisation focuses on child-centred community development of marginalised sections and aims to provide children with high-quality holistic education to enable community transformation. Ek Tara runs a programme for underprivileged children through which it ensures that they are equipped with a strong foundation before they join the formal school system. At the end of each cycle, students are assessed and then sent for admissions to various private and government schools.
Give helps these NGOs to reach out to a wider audience of donors in India and abroad so that their programmes get the support they need.
Laressa has presented the Bournvita Quiz Contest in 200+ schools across India. A corporate communication professional from Kolkata, her kaleidoscopic professional journey has helped fuel her love for travel and culture. Working with the social sector to give voice and volume to marginalised communities is Laressa’s ikigai.
