Educate Her Empower Her

Dear Global Givers,

Here’s an update from our campaign ‘Educate Her Empower Her’; where we are thrilled to report that all 13 girls are doing well and working hard to achieve their dreams and aspirations. 

The girls are regularly attending classes and all of them have enrolled in extracurricular activities. The half-yearly exams will begin on 19th December. The girls are also attending extra classes to help them cope with subjects that they find difficult in comprehending. We are hopeful that these extra classes will help them to do well in their coming exams. 

Maya* is currently preparing for the Indian Civil Service exams which is one of the toughest and most contested exams. She is hard working and diligently studying towards achieving her goal. 

Nita* wants to become a Police Officer. She is training for the physical exam. She also plays kabaddi (an Indian outdoor game).

Kiran* and Suman* have both discovered a newfound interest in cricket. They both got recognition from the school for participating in a tournament.

All 13 girls have made new friends and enjoy participating in various cultural events organized on campus.

According to Sita*, “Humein itni achi opportunity mili hai, gaon mein yeh mauka nahi mil paata” (Here we get a such good opportunity, in the village, this would not have been possible).

The girls are happy to have the full support of the family now who otherwise would have sent them away to engage in sex work or have them married off. Some of the girls were facing difficulty with school expenses but with the support of some additional money, they can now buy books, shoes, and other necessities for their daily usage.  When families visit the girls, they bring delicious home-cooked meals. This is something the girls miss and eagerly and wait for the visiting days.

Jaanvi* is a senior student and also a mentor for the girls. She regularly meets the girls to check on them to see what kind of difficulties or challenges they are facing. 

Our team also visits the students monthly and meets with the Principal, Vice Principal, and Warden to ensure that the girls are doing well and coping with their studies. A meeting was also conducted with all the teachers to ensure that they are sensitive toward the girls and to get general feedback on their performance. The feedback from the teachers was that the girls need to work on their English as the medium of instruction is English. Daily extra classes are being held for the girls to help them learn English.

With many families losing their income amid the Covid-19 pandemic, female students have borne the brunt of disrupted education. This batch of girls is first-generation learners who are studying and have not been engaged in forced commercial sex work. We at iPartner India will focus on empowering girls in India through scholarship programs and providing them with skills to equip their future employment. 

Thank you, Global Givers, by working together, we can make a lasting difference. Your support ensures that these girls can have access to education and are empowered to take informed life decisions.

With deep gratitude,
Team iPartner India

(*all names have been changed to protect the identity of the girls)