This began to change when the Vidya program was introduced at her school. The Educate Girls initiative which is built on the understanding that getting a girl into school is only the first step. To ensure she stays there and thrives, she needs more than just a seat in a classroom; she needs to feel that her voice matters. Through the Bal Sabha (Children’s Parliament), the program provides girls in Grades 6, 7, and 8 with life skills and leadership opportunities.

When the time came for the Bal Sabha elections at her school, Asma felt a flicker of curiosity. For the first time, she decided to step forward. Her peers recognised something in her that she had not yet seen in herself, and to her own surprise, they elected her as the Cultural Secretary.

The title brought with it a new sense of purpose. Suddenly, school was no longer just a place to sit quietly. It was a place where she had a responsibility to her peers. Her attendance became regular because she knew her school community was counting on her to lead. As she participated in sessions focused on confidence and problem-solving, supported by Tejas Networks Limited, her hesitation began to fade. She started asking questions, leading activities, and speaking with a clarity that was previously unseen.

The transformation has been remarkable. Today, Asma is no longer the girl who hesitates to speak. She has become a learner who not only participates in every session but also motivates other girls. As the Cultural Secretary, she manages school events with a level of poise that seemed impossible just a few months ago.

Asma’s journey is a powerful reminder that education is about more than just academic learning. It is about the holistic development that ensures a girl stays in school and thrives. Through the Vidya program, Asma has not only improved her attendance but has also prepared herself to face the world with confidence.

Her story illustrates that when girls are given the right opportunities and a platform to lead, they can break through their inner barriers. With the right guidance, girls like Asma are discovering their hidden potential and stepping into the light, ready to lead their communities toward a brighter future.

*Name changed to protect the identity of the minor.

In a remote rural village in India, increasingly vulnerable to floods, a girl named Priya (name changed) makes that walk. Her parents are farmers, their livelihoods dependent on the unpredictability of the changing climate.

At Educate Girls NGO, we believe that while technology and policy play an important role in tackling climate change, one powerful long-term solution is girls’ education. Though the connection may not seem obvious at first, the impact of girls’ education in India is profound. Education builds resilience, reduces vulnerability, and strengthens communities facing climate risk. Priya’s education does not just shape her future; it creates a safety net for her entire village.

First, education gives Priya agency. It puts her in the driver’s seat of her own life. She gains critical thinking to make informed choices about her health, her future family, and her livelihood.

With education, Priya begins to see challenges not with fear, but with purpose. When flood warnings are issued, an educated Priya is prepared. She can understand alerts, safeguard important documents, organise evacuation if needed, and ensure clean water and sanitation to prevent disease outbreaks. In moments of crisis, she becomes a source of calm and practical knowledge for those around her.

Education also opens economic pathways. These choices create a financial buffer that helps her family recover faster after climate shocks. This is how girls’ education sustainable future for India begins to take shape.

Priya in education today can become a community leader tomorrow. Priya’s journey reflects the wider importance of empowering women for climate leadership in India, where educated women are more likely to participate in local governance, advocate for sustainable practices, and guide their communities through change.

As our founder, Safeena Husain, stated during the Ramon Magsaysay Award Lecture Series, “Deaths from disasters could fall by as much as 60% if the majority of young women finished secondary school. When more girls are educated, entire communities become more resilient.”

Across rural India, millions of girls remain out of education due to poverty, migration, climate stress, and social norms. To reach them, Educate Girls works from the ground up.

Our community-based volunteers, known as Team Balika, go door-to-door, engage families and gently challenge long-held beliefs that limit girls’ futures. Often members of the same community, Team Balika volunteers build trust by showing families how education can protect their daughters and strengthen the household.

Priya’s return to education began with one such conversation. A Team Balika volunteer believed in her potential, helped her family navigate documentation, and ensured that no barrier stood in her way.

Support continues beyond enrolment. Through initiatives like ‘Gyan ka Pitara (Repository of Knowledge)’, girls receive foundational learning support to bridge gaps and rebuild confidence. As their skills grow, so does their ability to speak up and lead.

As the effects of climate change intensify, the need for climate-smart education programs that integrate life skills, environmental awareness, and adaptability is growing, and Educate Girls partners with government schools to deliver them.

Each girl who returns to education represents climate action through education, a stronger community, and a future shaped by resilience rather than risk. Educating girls is not just an education-based goal. It is a climate solution and a promise of a more equitable future for India. Together, we can build a sustainable future powered by education and equality. Donate to girls’ education.

If you can’t see, you can’t learn

In an effort to extend our efforts in boosting learning outcomes for children in rural areas, we have initiated a pilot project along with VisionSpring to identify students having trouble with vision and facilitate them with the necessary eyeglasses.

How we went about it

Our Team Balika (Educate Girls’ community volunteers) were first trained on vision screening by experts from Vision Spring. The training then followed with screening of school children by Team Balika, who conducted this screening using the vision testing kit. The list of identified school children was then shared with the Vision Spring team who conduct a final screening of students and provide eye glasses and other health tips for maintaining healthy vision essential to concentrate and do well in studies.

The training of Team Balika was conducted in April 2017, followed by screening and identification of children facing problems with vision for the pilot phase. The team from Vision Spring then conducted a final eye testing camp and issued glasses to students who required it in May 2017.

The pilot was conducted in some blocks of Bhilwara, Bundi and Sirohi districts of Rajasthan. Of close to a 1000 students screened, 25% were identified with eye problems. 14% of these children were under the age of 15. The pilot will continue until April 2018 and will then be measured for effectiveness.

In the realm of improving learning outcomes of children, there is a lot that needs to be done. This initiative is a small step towards adding another measure to improve the quality of education for children in India.

_{[1] Dandona R, Dandona L, Srinivas M, Sahare P, Narsaiah S, Muñoz SR, et al. Refractive error in children in a rural population in India. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2002;43:615–22.}