I live in Australia today — a country that has given me possibilities, security and a deep sense of belonging. But India will always be my first home. And every time I go back, I’m reminded of the contrast that shaped my purpose.
On the one side, India sparkles with world-class universities, innovation hubs and fast-growing cities. On the other hand, there are villages where girls still walk kilometres just to reach a school. There are, undeniably, two Indias. And it is the distance between them that drives the work we do at Educate Girls.
The Journey That Shaped Me!
My mother had to drop out of school at a young age, but she never stopped believing in the power of education. She pushed me through every stage of my academic journey, helping me complete my studies. And ultimately, I became one of the very few girls in my family to earn a master’s degree.
Education opened doors I didn’t even know existed. It gave me a lifelong commitment that filled my life with opportunities I could never have imagined. And it instilled a deep commitment: Every girl deserves the same chance I was lucky to receive!
Before moving to Australia in 2014, I worked at Educate Girls as the Communications Manager. It was one of the first places where I saw, up close, how transformational girls’ education can be. Not just for one child, but for entire families and villages. Even after relocating to Australia, that mission stayed with me. Today, I’m grateful to continue supporting the organisation in a global role.
Introducing Educate Girls
Established in 2007, Educate Girls is a non-profit dedicated to mobilising communities for girls’ education in India’s rural and educationally backward areas. In partnership with state governments and thousands of community-based gender champions, Educate Girls has developed a holistic, community-driven program, Vidya, that identifies out-of-school girls (aged 6-14), supports their enrolment and retention in school, and improves foundational literacy and numeracy skills for all children. When formal schooling is no longer an option, Educate Girls offers a second-chance program, Pragati, for adolescent girls and young women (aged 15-29) that builds life skills, agency, and educational credentials via government open schools (Grades 10 and 12).
Educate Girls’ impact to date is transformative:
- Reached over 30,000 villages
- Identified and mobilised over 2 million out-of-school girls
- Improved learning outcomes for over 2.4 million children
- Achieved more than 90% year-on-year retention rate for enrolled girls
- Established scalable government partnerships
- Delivered one of the most cost-effective education models globally
At the heart of this effort are 23,000+ community volunteers, known as Team Balika. who live by the motto: Their slogan, “My village, my problem, I am the solution.”
These volunteers are the eyes, ears, and hands of change on the ground, mobilising communities, tracking out-of-school girls, and helping families understand the value of education.
Bunty’s Story: A Second Chance That Changed Everything
Bunty, one of our brightest Pragati learners, is a powerful example of what happens when opportunity meets determination. After being out of school for years due to family responsibilities, Bunty joined the Pragati second-chance program for adolescent girls and young women, which helps them complete their secondary education and regain control over their futures.
She studied late into the night, between chores, between expectations, between the limits life has placed on her. In June 2025, she passed her Grade 10 exams with an impressive 74%, topping the entire Madhya Pradesh State Open School (a government-recognised institution that offers flexible, inclusive, and distance-based education, particularly benefiting out-of-school or marginalised learners).
She now plans to study further. She dreams of joining the police force or becoming an early-childhood educator at her local Anganwadi (community early child care centre). Bunty is not an exception – she is a reminder of the incredible potential that exists in millions of girls, unlocked only when someone chooses to believe in them.
Why the Indian Diaspora Matters
As members of the Indian diaspora, many of us straddle two worlds.
One India where possibilities feel endless, and another where a girl’s future can still be shaped by whether she has a bicycle, a school uniform, or the time she sacrifices each dawn to fetch water.
We carry home within us.
We can choose to be the change.
But sometimes we wonder:
Will my contribution actually make a difference?
Will it reach the right place?
The answer is a resounding yes. The impact is measurable, scalable and life-changing.
Yet, in Australia — one of the most generous nations – less than 5% of philanthropic giving goes toward international causes, even as girls in India face growing challenges due to poverty, migration and climate vulnerability.
This is where the diaspora can lead….
Not out of obligation, but out of gratitude and connection, to the India that raised us.
This Holiday Season: Give Her A Break
As we step into the festive season and the end of 2025, I invite you to stand with girls like Bunty and countless others who want to return to education.
Your support this season can:
- Enrol an out-of-school girl
- Help a young woman complete her Grade 10
- Train community volunteers who champion girls’ rights
- Strengthen classrooms with foundational learning support
Give possibility.
Give education.
Because when one girl learns, an entire family rises. A community shifts and a future transforms
From Melbourne to Maharashtra, from Sydney to Sirohi, from one home to another, our giving can be the bridge that brings the two Indias closer together.
Every gift matters. And every girl deserves her chance!
