EDU-GIRLS INC
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Mission Statement
Enable girls living in poverty to achieve financial independence through customized quality holistic education, vocational training and professional college scholarships. We aim to do this efficiently ( less than $1 per day), effectively (ensuring that real outcomes are achieved) and transparently.
About This Cause
Our Ten Mantras model consists of ten interventions which if delivered as a package, virtually assures that our goal will be achieved. We currently operate in six schools in three countries of South Asia directly educating about 2000 girls from pre Kg to post high school professional college. What is the problem we are trying to solve? Education of girls is well recognized as a major development opportunity to eradicate poverty and even fight climate change because of its impact on population growth. However, the difficulty of reaching girls living in poverty with quality education had contributed significantly to underachievement of Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2. The difficulty arises because of a gender bias in traditional societies whereby girls are low priority for family resources, the preference being for the male child who most likely will look after parents in old age. Girls are to watch the home front, looking after younger siblings or making supplemental income while both parents are out doing low skill work. They are to be kept safe and then married off young, effectively to transfer the liability to a new family. All the poor girl wants is to learn and earn but gender and poverty comes in the way. The problem is how to effectively deal with these complex factors. How does Edu-GIRLS address the problem? Our 10 MANTRA model which has emerged from global experience confirmed through field work launched in 2014, is directed specifically to break the grip of the gender and poverty nexus. It (i) eliminates financial cost to family; (ii) reduces the opportunity cost of girls not able to help run the poor household; (iii) ensures a safe campus and secure transport; (iv) delivers quality through teacher development and digital learning; (v) motivates teachers to work smarter through incentives; (vi) rewards girls for staying at school and performing through incentives; (vii) ensures market readiness through emphasis on STEM instruction and (viii) supports vocational training and college scholarships till girls are in jobs. What evidence is there that this is an effective intervention? Despite the disruptions of COVID 19, our model has blossomed at our flagship Vimukti Girls School in Jaipur, 1/ India where the 10 MANTRAS are in operation. Girls were critical to the families survival during the lockdown, bringing home rations to put food on the table. as of June 22, 650 girls from the slums of Jaipur have continued to learn through the pandemic using new personal tablets and are ready to show strong performance in June Board examinations, 32 girls are in jobs after completing vocational training and 7 are in college getting ready for careers in commerce and teaching. Costs are low, just $1 per day per girl. This is less than what the Government spends in public schools. In 2021 girls began to participate in independent learning assessments using the ASSET platform which is used by 1500 English medium private schools in India. in 2024, our flagship school Vimukti in Jaipur had reached parity with the average national score in ASSET. Other schools are still behind but working to catch up fast. Step by step replication of the model in Bangalore is accelerating, new schools have been added in Firozabad (2021) and Hyderabad (2023) and programs are being developed for schools in NOIDA in India and Kurigram in Bangladesh. What makes Edu-GIRLS innovative? Our uniqueness is our full package of interventions customized to the needs of girls living in poverty, a package that is delivered from pre-school to job placement and a package that costs less than the government spends on a girl in school. Our innovation lies in (i) being flexible and responsive to changing needs ( as demonstrated in our COVID-19 response); and (ii) a strong focus on results which bases grant disbursement on the achievement of agreed Key Performance Indicators. How ready are we to grow? Nominations of organizations which share our vision has begun. Key selection criteria are: (i) committed leadership; (ii) ability to achieve results; (iii) openness to innovation; (iv) efficiency to deliver at low cost; and (v) fiduciary probity and transparency. Short listed organizations are being assisted to develop 3 year business plans using the 10 MANTRA framework and to develop a baseline and 3 year goals of 5 Key Performance Indicators. Funding will be utilized to implement an action agenda under signed grant agreements based on achievement of agreed results. Penalties will be included for underperformance and provisions made for external evaluation.