KARUNA TRUST Nishtha project – West Bengal, INDIA (800 girls)
“Nishtha is next to my Mom and without ‘Shikkhai Hatiyar’ project so many girls like me could not have pursued their school education. The support I have received so far from ‘Shikkai Hatiyar’ project helped me dream big and I hope someday I would able to get established in life and help others too.”
– Jaya, 13 years old
Established in London, Karuna Trust has worked with local community groups for over 40 years to help South Asia’s poorest people lead meaningful and dignified lives. They are committed to human development, enabling people to escape poverty, access their legal rights and participate fully in society. Discrimination against girls in West Bengal has been a major problem where parents may not see any value in educating girls, who will traditionally be married off at an early age. Thus, only 30% of girls in West Bengal complete primary education, and only 1.8% qualify for secondary exams. The region is also renowned as a target rich environment for traffickers of young girls. Local government and media reports put the number of disappeared women and girls in the region to be as high as 8,000 per year.
PAWA began funding the Nishtha – Karuna Trust’s Adolescent Girl Empowerment Through Education Project in West Bengal in 2014. This marked the first year of a four-year program aimed at supporting 450 girls from the Dalit community, focusing on increasing school enrollment and retention, reducing child marriage, and enhancing knowledge on reproductive health, hygiene, and basic rights. PAWA’s annual grants have continued to cover school fees, books, clothing, and other educational support tailored to the needs of the local community. Since 2014, PAWA has helped provide over 8,350 school placements. Participation and leadership opportunities through girls’ and women’s groups focusing on these issues have empowered and educated these women. By organising these groups and training their leaders, Karuna has given this community the tools to mobilise the wider community. Their learning is disseminated amongst all the members, as well as building solidarity amidst themselves.
