ODW + RSKS

Project #281 | Education for Every Rural Girl

Our Partnership with Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS)

In the Indian state of Rajasthan, 30% of the population lives below the poverty line. The barriers faced by people living in poverty are disproportionately experienced by women and girls.  Gender discrimination at home and in school has led to approximately half of all girls in Rajasthan dropping out before entering secondary school.  Among the factors that contribute to drop out is the onset of menstruation.  UNICEF studies reveal that 25% of adolescent girls in India take time off school when menstruating due to lack of sanitation facilities, 71% are unaware of menstruation until it starts, and 1 in 5 drop out of school due to menstruation. In addition, families with already strained resources tend to show preference for their sons’ uniforms and school supplies over their daughters.  

One Day’s Wages partnered with Rajasthan Samgrah Kalyan Sansthan (RSKS) to address the unique needs of adolescent girls in Rajasthan’s Ajmer District.  Through our partnership, 1,025 girls received school supplies to reduce the financial burden of attending school, including: educational materials (school bags, notebooks, pens, pencils, books), a school uniform with shoes, and a hygiene kit (sanitary napkins, bucket, soap, toothbrush). Across 40 partner schools 2,100 girls also participated in monthly awareness and training sessions on health, menstrual hygiene, sexual and reproductive health, and gender equity.  As a result of these supports, 95% of girls attended school regularly and 99% reported feeling more confident!

Our Collective Impact

Girl Students Received School & Hygiene Supplies

Girls Have Increased Health & Hygiene Awareness

Partner Schools Were Engaged & Visited Monthly

Meet Manisha

My name is Manisha*, and I’m 15 years old. There are four children in our family. My father does daily jobs to earn money, and my mother takes care of our small farm. They work hard to make sure we have enough food, but sometimes it’s difficult to afford everything we need for school. Even though we didn’t always have everything we needed, I loved going to school. Learning new things made me happy, and I was determined to do well because I knew education was my path to a better future.

One day, some friendly people from RSKS came to my school. My teachers told them about me, and they wanted to know more about my home life. So, they visited my house and talked to my parents. It was nice to have someone show concern for us. The RSKS team came with bags full of useful things like a hygiene kit, school bag, shoes, socks, a winter jacket, and all the school supplies I need for a whole year. I was so happy!

But they did more than just give me things. They also taught us important topics. We had workshops on sanitation and hygiene, gender equality, and life and leadership skills. We played games, looked at pictures, and discussed important issues. The RSKS team visits our school every month to see how we’re doing. RSKS doesn’t just give us items; they are giving us a chance for a better future.

* pseudonym used to protect child’s privacy

Thank you for making this possible!

Our movement is grassroots, to us that not only means the work on the ground is led by local leaders with the support of the community, but it also means that we raise the funds for our projects through everyday donors just like you. In addition to all the donors that gave $25, $100, or $250 and the campaigners that ran a race or donated their birthday to raise funds, we also want to thank our generous business, school, and faith sponsors who believed in our work and joined the movement.

If you want to support future projects like this you can make a donation to the fund below.

                 

 

One Day’s Wages exists to alleviate extreme poverty by investing in, amplifying, and coming alongside locally led organizations in underserved communities.

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