I spent the last several days in Uttar Pradesh (UP) in Northern India. The education situation in this state and several others is difficult. Literacy rates are below 50 % and for girls they are below 30 %. The government had just devoted new resources to education but it will take time before this makes an impact. As with many other education systems, money is not the only issue.
CARE operates in a number of ways in UP to help alleviate this situation. They have a special focus on girls’ education including social skills as well as the ABC’s. Much of the program material is developed in an experimental school that CARE operates with a local NGO partner. The name of the school is Udaan. It is a very special place.
Udaan takes girls that have no education but are around 11-12 years of age. In an 11 month intense residency they bring them up to 5th grade standards. Over 95 percent pass the 5th grade test and over 80 % go on to study in upper primary schools.
Many of these girls have had minimal social interaction before coming to this school. It is a wonderful thing to be able to sit with them and experience the joy of education that they have.
CARE’s education efforts in India are funded primarily from the U.S. and the U.K. Because of this support, Udaan and the programs that CARE takes to the other primary and upper primary schools, lives ARE being changed in profound ways.