In rural India, two-thirds of children between 15-19 years of age drop out of school and fall into a cycle of low-wage labor and poverty. The rate is higher among female students, due to additional factors such as unsafe travel to and from school and stigma from their local community. As a result, the vast majority of female secondary school students give up on the financial independence and brighter future that education could provide.
The Barzilai Foundation is teaming up with Room to Read to support these girls and restore their potential. Room to Read is a global non-profit organization that delivers programs dedicated to facilitating education and literacy in disadvantaged communities. One of these programs, Girls Education Program, removes barriers girls in low-income communities face, using mentoring, tutoring, counselling, and material support.
With Room to Read, we are establishing a bursary fund that provides material support to female students striving to complete their secondary education. These hardship grants are designed to remove specific barriers these students that would prohibit or derail their academic progress such as; school fees, transportation, uniforms, supplies and exam preparation.
“These girls have shown courage and determination to already be ahead of most of their peers,” said Brandon Sosa, CEO of the Barzilai Foundation. “If there is a barrier that we can remove with some targeted financial support we want to get that barrier out of their way. I’m excited to see them make it the rest of the way and complete their education.”
While these needs may seem modest, they are a major factor in low-income communities and a major contributor to high drop-out rates. We anticipate that with these obstacles removed, graduation rates will rise, demonstrating a whole new set of potential futures that can inspire younger students to stay on track and complete school.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Barzilai Foundation to support our Girls' Education Program,” said Sotonye Oye-Somefun, Director of Global Partnerships at Room to Read. “This program is crucial because for every year a girl stays in school, her future income can increase by 10-20%. Educated girls make better choices for themselves and their families, and they go on to educate their own children. These contributions create a ripple effect that transforms generations. Thank you to the Barzilai Foundation for walking side by side with us in this vital mission”
Mohammed is a young excelling in multiple areas of study and is on track for university. He's done all this despite being born into a low-income family and having no access to a local school and having a severely limiting disability.
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