PRAGATI

There are millions of adolescent girls and young women who have left education and never returned. Early marriage, motherhood, poverty and the lack of nearby secondary schools hold them back.

Pragati is our second chance program that supports them to complete Grade 10 and take the next step towards further education and empowerment.

Bunty is 27 years old and a mother of two children. She lives in rural India. She attended school until Grade 8 but had to drop out.

With no secondary school nearby and thinking she was no longer eligible for formal education, her dream of becoming a police officer quietly slipped away.

Her story is not unique.

Girls like Bunty often leave school early due to household responsibilities and early marriage. They are rarely given a second chance to learn. Education becomes a forgotten chapter.

Now, meet Sarika, a trained community mentor (called Prerak) with the Educate Girls’ Pragati program.

She supports young women to take a second chance at education through village-based learning camps, where they prepare for their Grade 10 exams via open schooling.

Sarika first organised a Pragati Sabha, bringing together families, school staff and local influencers to build support for girls' education.

They spoke about taking second chances, shared camp details and identified girls to enrol.

After the Sabha, Sarika met Bunty during a door-to-door visit.

Bunty wanted to give education a second chance but wasn’t sure her family would allow it. Sarika kept visiting, speaking with her husband and in-laws to ease their concerns.

Bunty finally joined the learning camp.

Sarika supported Bunty and the other learners in developing self-study and peer learning skills as they prepared for their Grade 10 exams.

She also learnt about financial literacy, digital literacy and life skills, which helped her build confidence and a sense of agency.

Bunty completed her Grade 10 exams with pride and a sense of achievement.
Bunty has already started thinking about continuing her higher studies and hoping to achieve her dream.

She is one of more than 31,500 young women enrolled through state open schools with the support of Preraks like Sarika, local communities, and the government.

Meet Our Learners

Manvi

Manvi from Rajasthan had studied till 9th Grade before she dropped out. She had to drop out of school when her father lost his job during the Covid-19 pandemic. Manvi considers the second chance at the Pragati camp a turning point in her life. She wants to pass the 10th grade and join the army afterwards!

Tarannum

Tarannum's education was interrupted for four years due to her family's financial struggles caused by her elder sister's wedding expenses. However, she recently joined the Pragati camp with the goal of completing the 10th grade. She aspires to pass the 10th grade to become independent and alleviate her family’s financial burden.

Pooja

Pooja discontinued her education after 9th grade due to mounting financial pressures within her family. However, upon discovering the Pragati camp in her locality, she took the initiative to enroll herself. She now aspires to empower women in her community and become a role model for women who are deprived of life chances.

Karjuna

Karjuna dropped out of school after failing two subjects in her 9th Grade. Although she wanted to be in school, her academic setbacks curbed her willingness. When Pragati camp started in her village, she found hope again. Now the owner of a small shop in the village, Karjuna wants to complete her education and expand her business.

*names changed

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Educate Girls is a project of Foundation To Educate Girls Globally (FEGG) | FEGG is registered in India under Section 8 of the Indian Companies Act, 2013.

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