by Amaar Naraen
Anand Mahindra, the current chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra and the founder of Project Nanhi Kali, has staunchly supported the issue of Girl Child Education. He believes that educated women are an integral part of any society and ensure a gender-balanced society. He reinforces how empowering a woman since a very young age tremendously benefits the nation in the long run.
Studies conducted in developing countries have shown that this is true. Today, even the World Bank has acknowledged that there is no investment more effective for achieving the millennium development goals than educating girls.”According to the World Bank, some of the benefits associated with girls’ education include reduction of child and maternal mortality, improvement of child nutrition and health, lower fertility rates and improvement in economic production”.
Our focus is to ensure that not only do girl child from socially and economically marginalized families access quality education but also complete it by reducing the high rate of drop outs. K. C. Mahindra Education Trust (KCMET) and Project Nanhi Kali also allow individuals to participate and support the education of a girl child in India.
PARTNERS IN THE CAUSE
Since 2005, Project Nanhi Kali is jointly managed by the reputed K. C. Mahindra Education Trust (KCMET) and Naandi Foundation (an independent and reputed not-for-profit organization) that has an objective of providing 10 years of quality education to girls from economically disadvantaged families. Project Nanhi Kali is working with 21 NGO implementation partners at the grassroot level to ensure that the girls receive academic, material support and social support. The K.C. Mahindra Education Trust regularly monitors the NGOs by giving technical inputs wherever required to ensure that quality education is being imparted to all the girls.
Testimonial
“Today’s girls face lots of stumbling blocks for gaining knowledge through education but through the initiatives of Project Nanhi Kali, our hidden talents have been identified. I effectively used this platform to develop my skills, especially in speech and in my academics,” says R. Preethi, a student of class 7 in Dhanakoti Middle School, Chennai, who is a talented orator and writer in English and Tamil. This Nanhi Kali’s talent has won her many prizes! We wish Preethi all the very best!