Empower Young Rural Girls through Scholarships

When her father suffered a paralytic attack in June 2024, a 19-year-old from Varanasi who dreams of becoming a journalist nearly lost her chance to study. Her family could no longer afford the fees. Today she is still in college, working towards her mass communication degree, thanks to donors who stepped in.

Her story is not unique. Across rural India, including Varanasi in eastern Uttar Pradesh, young women set aside their ambitions because of poverty, entrenched gender norms and limited opportunity. When money is tight, a girl’s education is often the first sacrifice. Many are expected to take on caregiving, earn for the household or marry early. The result is lost independence, lost agency and a lower quality of life.

Sampark Spark was created to break that cycle. It pays the college fees of daughters of Sampark Self-Help Group (SHG) members, so the girls whose mothers we already support can study too.

Our track record

With the help of donors, Sampark has supported around 240 girls so far. Sampark Spark builds on that work with a focus on higher education. It pays the college fees of daughters of Sampark Self-Help Group (SHG) members, so the girls whose mothers we already support can study too.

What your support has achieved

Between March and June 2026, donor funds paid the fees of six young women studying at Mahadev College and R.S. Banaras Law College in Varanasi. All six are still enrolled and attending classes, and none has dropped out. They are building confidence, employability skills and the ability to make informed decisions about their futures.

What we need now

Each scholar has at least three semesters left, and 15 more young women with real ambition cannot join because their families cannot pay. Fees range from about 5,000 to 14,000 per student per semester, depending on the course.

• Help our six scholars finish. Completing their degrees needs roughly 90,000 to 2,52,000 in total (6 students, at least 3 semesters each).
• Open the door for more girls. Fund a scholarship for a young woman who is ready to study and only needs the fees paid.

A single semester for one young woman costs 5,000 to 14,000. 

This programme reflects Sampark’s belief in change across generations: mothers supported through livelihoods and leadership, and daughters getting the education earlier generations of women were denied.

To our donors, thank you for making the first semester possible. We hope you will stand with us again so these six can finish what they started, and so more girls can follow them.

Scholars Supported So Far

1. Anamika (name changed), 19, B.A. in Mass Communications, Mahadev College, Varanasi
2. Kumari (name changed), 19, B.A., Mahadev College, Varanasi
3. Kiran (name changed), 19, B.A., Mahadev College, Varanasi
4. Asha (name changed), 21, B.F.A., Mahadev College, Varanasi
5. Arya (name changed), 19, B.A., Mahadev College, Varanasi
6. Anu (name changed), 19, LL.B., R.S. Banaras Law College, Varanasi

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