In India, 250 million people have been pushed into extreme poverty over the past 15 months. According to the UN, 20 million girls worldwide who have left school will never return. This project will send 300 of the girls we serve, survivors of trafficking and those at high-risk, back to school to ensure they do not become a part of that statistic. Girls living in poverty or in high-risk environments cannot afford to lose the progress they have made in school. Education, Not Exploitation.
The second and predicted third wave of COVID is sweeping through India forcing poor communities into worse conditions. When families in poverty are desperate, they do desperate things, and the risk of trafficking a daughter heightens. The lockdowns have caused children to pause their education for the last 15 months. This project will send 300 girls back to school and provide basic needs to their families to lessen the risk of trafficking or vulnerabilities.
$300 provides one girl a year of education and includes services that support education such as nutritious meals, safe places to study, tutoring, mental health counseling and transportation if needed. In remote areas we'll be able to provide tablets for virtual learning and phone cards for teachers to offer lessons or tutoring. Keeping girls in school lessens their risk of trafficking and gives them tools to advance beyond the line of poverty.
300 girls can return to school and continue their education. Providing basic needs and access to education is the key to ending the cycle of intergenerational poverty and/or trafficking. These 300 girls will be safe from the risks of being trafficked into forms of slavery such as sexual exploitation, child marriage, domestic servitude or forced labor. Providing the opportunity to learn and gain skills for the workforce gives girls the chance to support and empower themselves.
