Meera is 18 year old and is in the 9th grade at Pardada Pardadi Inter College, a school in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Kalyan, is a farmer and her mother, Pueshpa, is a housewife. Her four brothers and one sister live with her and her parents in a nearby village.

Pardada Padadi (PPES) realizes that the cycle of poverty can be broken only by educating and empowering the weakest members of society: rural female children. The organization provides rural girls with both a value-based education and vocational skill training. The organization has also initiated the unique concept of providing monetary incentives for families to send their girls to school, including depositing ten rupees per day (about $.20 US) in the bank account of a girl for attending school. The girls from PPES will graduate with the equivalent of a high school diploma, marketable skills in textile work, a nest-egg of approximately 30,000 rupees ($600), social and developmental skills, and an assured job at PPES.

Meera’s favorite subject at the Inter College is English. She wants to one day become a teacher. Thank you, Friedman Group at UBS, for giving a young girl like Meera a year of computer training and English speaking classes.

Sonam is 13 years old and stays with her parents, one sister and four brothers. Her father Lakhi Ram is a farmer and her mother Vimla is a housewife and they live in Moharsha.

Currently she is in class seven at Pardada Pardadi. Her favorite subject is English and is an enthusiastic student in her sewing class as well. She enjoys going to school. Her future goal is to become a good teacher someday and equip other children with what she has gained!

Thank you, Kandace for donating one set of school uniform to Jyoti. Every day that Jyoti comes to school is another day that takes her closer to her dream of becoming a teacher.

Thank you for providing a year of tuition to a student at the Parada Pardadi Educational Society (PPES) in Uttar Pradesh, India. Illiteracy among girls in India is widespread. 70% of the children who are not enrolled in school are girls. Pardada Pardadi provides free education for its students, including vocational training, textbooks, meals, and supplies.

Thirteen year old Chhaya* is a seventh grader at PPES. Her father, Tarachand, is a laborer and her mother, Bhawati Devi, is a housewife. Chhaya has one sister and one brother. Chhaya’s favorite subject is Hindi and she wants to be a teacher when she grows up.

Thank you, Cindy, for providing an entire year of computer training and spoken English classes to Chhaya. This will give her the much needed confidence to seek a job outside the village where she has grown up.

Because of your generosity, Cindy, Chhaya is on the road to economic and social independence.

Nadira*, hailing from the village of Pilkhani, is a seventh grader at the Pardada Pardadi Inter College in Anoopshahr, India. Her father, Ompal, is a laborer and her mother, Rajesh Davi, is a housewife. Papiha has one sister and one brother. Her favorite subject is hindi and when she grows up, she wants to become a teacher.

Your generous donation, Laura, will ensure that Nadira receives a set of two school uniforms, a sweater, a pair of shoes and socks that will last her an entire academic year, thereby ensuring that she gets to attend another year of school.

Thank you, Laura, for providing a school uniform set to Nadira.

*Name changed to protect identity

Dolly is 12 years old and a 7th grader at the Pardada Pardadi Inter College in Anoopshahr, India. Her father, Suresh, is a farmer and her mother, Rajkumari, is a house wife. Dolly has one sister and one brother.

Pardada Padadi (PPES) realizes that the cycle of poverty can be broken only by educating and empowering the weakest members of society: rural female children. The organization provides rural girls with both a value-based education and vocational skill training. The organization has also initiated the unique concept of providing monetary incentives for families to send their girls to school, including depositing ten rupees per day in the bank account of a girl for attending school. The girls from PPES will graduate with the equivalent of a high school diploma, marketable skills in textile work, a nest-egg of approximately 30,000 rupees ($600), social and developmental skills, and an assured job at PPES.

Dolly’s favorite subject is English and she wants to use her education at PPES to one day become a doctor. Thank you Tania, Nathalie, Justin, and Sony for making this possible!

15 year old Greeshma* studies in the 10th grade at the school run by Pardada Pardadi in Uttar Pradesh, India. Her father, Brajpal Singh, is a laborer and her mother, Kamlesh, is a housewife. Greeshma has two brothers and one sister. When she grows up, Greeshma wants to become a teacher.

Greeshma lives in the village of Salamatpur in Uttar Pradesh and, unfortunately, it is far away from the school. Greeshma would have been forced to drop out of school due to the distance if not for your donation, Ryan. Now, Greeshma can cycle to school every day. The teachers there love her presence because she has a pleasing personality and is very respectful towards elders.

Thank you, Ryan, for ensuring Greeshma can continue to receive an education.

*Name changed to protect identity

15 year old Gunjan* studies is in the 9th grade at the school run by Pardada Pardadi. Her father, Madan Pal Giri, is a laborer and her mother, Indravati, is a housewife. Gunjan has two brothers and one sister. Gunjan’s favorite subject is English and she wants to become a doctor when she grows up.

Gunjan lives in the village of Parli in Uttar Pradesh, India, which is far away from the Pardada Pardadi school. Gunjan would have been forced to drop out of school if not for your donation, Balamurugan, due to the immense distance of travel. Now, Gunjan can cycle to school every day and make it in time for classes.

Thank you, Balamurugan, for ensuring Gunjan can continue getting an education.

*Name changed to protect identity

Fourteen year old Bhakti* is a seventh grader. Her father, Naresh Chand, is a shopkeeper and her mother, Munesh Devi, is a housewife. Bhakti has three sisters and one brother. Bhakti’s favourite subject is English.

Thank you, Miten, for providing six months of vocational training to Bhakti. This will give her the much needed confidence to seek a job outside the village where she has grown up.

Because of your generosity, Miten, Bhakti is on the road to economic and social independence.

Thank you!

Sudesh is 11 years old and in the 7th grade at the Pardada Pardadi Inter College in Anupshahr, which is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Her favorite subject is English and she hopes to use her education to one day become a doctor.

Illiteracy among girls in India is widespread. 70% of the children who are not enrolled in school are girls. Pardada Pardadi (PPES) provides free education for its students, including vocational training, textbooks, meals, and supplies. Though it started with an enrollment of 45, PPES now educates and provides job training and employment for 996 girls.

Thank you, Mary, for covering the cost of a school uniform for Sudesh. Your generosity helps her pursue her dreams!

Gudiya is 8 years old and in the fifth grade. She studies in Anoopshahr, India at one of the Pardada Pardadi schools. Her father is a technician and her mother is a housewife. She has two sisters and two brothers as well.

Because her parents have a minimal income for a large family, they cannot afford to send Gudiya to school. Pardada Pardadi works to prevent cases like Gudiya’s by finding external support from caring people like you, Dale.

Pardada Pardadi provides free education and school meals for children like Gudiya as incentive to keep them in school and out of child labor. Thank you, Dale, for supporting a year of Gudiya’s education. Because of your generosity, she can pursue her dream of becoming a teacher.