The heart of our mission is to empower girls in underserved communitiesthrough education. Located in a remote area, our initiative, Unnati, providesscholarships and support to first-generation, rural, and minority girls. Alignedwith ‘Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao’, we prioritize education to prevent early marriage, amplifying their voices and nurturing empowered women. Our commitment to girls’ education and supportive environments drives Unnati’s ongoing growth.

Objectives

Our goal with ‘Unnati’ (उन्नति) is to provide more than just education. We aspire to give girls’ the skills they need to thrive in life like curiosity, resilience, and empathy. By empowering them, we aim to help to succeed academically and lead complete lives, making a positive impact on society. Through association and innovation, we create an ambiance where every girl’s potential is nurtured and celebrated. Our ultimate aim is toempower a new generation of women who inspire positive change in their communities and beyond.

Context

In a world where gender equality remains a challenge, we offer hope by addressing biases against girls. Our college is dedicated to elevating and enriching girls through education and protection. Many minority girls face early marriage pressures, but our initiatives have helped them complete their education. By prioritizing their well-being, we aim to create a fairer society where every girl can fulfill her potential with confidence. Our goal is to nurture leaders who can create positive change in their communities and beyond.

The Practice :

‘Unnati’ (उन्नति) has been a groundbreaking initiative aimed at elevating and enriching girls’ through education and protection. It ensures girls’ excel academically, grow personally, and become strong, confident individuals who can make a difference. It’s our way of saying, “You’ve got this!”

• Provide scholarships to empower minority, first-generation, rural, and deserving girls in pursuing education..
• Ensure safety through secure transportation & facilities.
• Organize outreach programs to ensure marginalized girls to have access to essential education and support services.
• Organise student-teacher mentoring, workshops, and seminars advocating for gender equality and promoting girls’ rights & celebrate their achievements who aspires to overcome obstacles & pursue education.
• Women empowerment cell at our campus focus on physical and mental well-being, offering counseling, health workshops, and skill-building activities.

Problems encountered & resources required :

In efforts to advance student-teacher development, significant challenges demanded a strategic approach. The covid – 19 pandemic caused disruptions, particularly affecting degree college girls with campus closures and the shift to online learning. This transition was especially challenging for rural and minority students without digital access, increasing pressures for early marriage among minority girls. To address these issues, we utilized virtual platforms for student engagement and implemented a strong mental health support system. Counseling and mentoring discouraged early marriages with ref to minority girl students, scholarships ensured continued education access, and peer support groups were formed to promote community and academic success.

Evidence of Success :

The success of the initiative is evident through the notable growth of our students since its inception with an increasing number of admissions to our college. The ratio of girl students admissions is as follows; 1st Generation students in 2018-19 : 79, 2019-20 : 110, 2020-21 : 119, 2021- 22 : 119, 2022-23 : 154. Followed by Rural Background girl students are 2018-19 : 57, 2019-20 : 54, 2020-21 : 86, 2021- 22 : 86, 2022-23 : 117. The minority girl students range as follows; 2018-19 : 14 2019-20 : 23, 2020-21 : 18, 2021- 22 : 19, 2022-23 : 16. Hereby it can be evidently contemplated that our tailored training & encouragement given to our students is helping them to complete their education & meet with success.