Support Rural India's First-Gen Female Learners

From Classrooms to Careers: The Shift You Helped Create

Dear Donors,

Thank you for standing beside India’s first-generation female learners. Your support is helping rural girls step into classrooms, banks, and workplaces that no one in their families had ever imagined reaching. Today, we are excited to share the powerful progress your generosity has made possible over the last few months.

The Story of Lalita: “My Savings Became My Freedom”

Lalita grew up in a small village where girls rarely studied beyond Grade 10. Her father worked as a porter, income was uncertain, and marriage was often seen as the only path for girls.

Through the KickStart Girls Program at Mann Deshi, Lalita learned the value of saving. She began depositing just 100 a month into a small recurring deposit, money she earned by tutoring younger students. When she was selected for a B.Sc. Nursing course, her parents told her they couldn’t afford the fees. But Lalita had something no one expected - her savings. With the confidence and financial awareness she gained through Mann Deshi, she took a small loan against her savings, paid her fees and continued her education.

Today, Lalita is in her 2nd year of Nursing ~ financially independent, delaying early marriage, and inspiring girls to choose education over restriction.

Your support made Lalita’s freedom possible.

What Your Support Enabled This Quarter…. 

Because of you, our ecosystem of programs is helping girls build knowledge, confidence, financial independence, and leadership, one step at a time.

KickStart Girls Fellowship – Stepping into the Professional World

Our 8-month fellowship is preparing the first generation of rural young women (20 - 26 years) to enter formal workplaces with dignity and skill.

This quarter:

• 20 fellows completed core training in communication, digital skills, financial literacy, workplace readiness, leadership & civic participation
  
  
• For the first time, all 20 girls will travel outside their villages for internships in professional workspaces
  
  
• 70–80% of fellows learned swimming - a milestone for girls who had never entered a pool, building confidence and courage
  
  

They are breaking barriers of mobility, language, and self-doubt. This is a historic shift for rural women.

Youth Leadership Lab – Financial + Digital Literacy in Schools

To prepare adolescent girls and youth before they reach college, we conducted many Financial & Digital Literacy Training in schools.

This quarter, the Youth Leadership Lab:

• Trained 488 (many first-gen learners) youth in financial, digital & banking literacy through 45 workshops
  
  
• Helped students open and operate bank accounts
  
  
• Built confidence to speak, present, and participate actively
  
  

Youth, especially girls are now confident to use ATMs, UPI, and banking services, reversing power dynamics in households.

Rise Up Workshops – Confidence & Skill-Building for Adolescents

Through creative, vocational, and self-expression workshops, girls are discovering their voice and agency.

This quarter, girls:

• 208 girls learned income-generating skills (e.g., Rakhi making, crafts, art)
  
  
• Sold their products through market linkages provided by Mann Deshi and many earned money for the first time
  
  
• Led 9 workshops for other girls, stepping into leadership and changemakers in their communities.
  
  

These workshops served as safe spaces for adolescent girls to learn, express, and dream beyond the limits society sets for them.

School Bank Project – Girls Leading Financial Inclusion

With your support, the School Bank model is helping girls:

• Open bank accounts in their own name
  
  
• Save weekly using school piggy banks
  
  
• Learn banking processes hands-on
  
  

In several schools, girls are running the school banks as Bank Manager, Cashier, Bank Sakhi, and Clerk. They maintain ledgers, motivate peers to save, and coordinate with our Bank Team. 

Story of Change #2: Madhavi – From a Small Village to Becoming a Role Model

Madhavi grew up in a dalit community where early marriage was common and a girl’s world was limited to home. She was the first girl in her family to complete college.

Through the KickStart Girls programs, Madhavi joined workshops, developed leadership skills, and gained the confidence to speak in public. She is now a KickStart Girls Fellow, ready to join her Internship and aiming to become financially independent. She has set an example for many girls in her community to step out and see how much the world has to offer.