Project Pragati, a new outreach program in India, aims to provide secondary education to girls who have dropped out of school. The non-profit organization Educate Girls, in partnership with the government, plans to provide 10th grade qualifications to 10 million girls in rural areas of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh over a 10-year period. The program will use locally-based volunteers to identify girls who have dropped out of school and enroll them in secondary schools, providing support for exams in "learning camps" set up in the villages where the girls live. The lack of infrastructure, facilities, and resources, including the distance between homes and schools, the lack of qualified female teachers, and period poverty and stigma, are some of the main obstacles that prevent girls from accessing education in rural areas. Educate Girls hopes to help girls become financially independent by supporting them into entry-level jobs, further education, and vocational training.
Photo Credit: Susan Q Yin
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