Education and Youth Development

The Educate Girls Project, implemented by Chaupal Gramin Vikash Prashikshan Evam Shodh Sansthan with the support of Educate Girls, is being carried out in 34 villages of Lundra and Lakhanpur blocks in Surguja district, Chhattisgarh. The project focuses on supporting girls and young women aged 14 - 29 years who discontinued their education after Class 5 due to socio-economic reasons such as poverty, early marriage, household responsibilities, lack of awareness, and limited access to secondary education. Through village level learning camps conducted by trained Camp Preraks (community educators), the project identifies out-of-school girls, mobilizes families and communities, and provides regular teaching and academic support to help them complete Class 10 through the Chhattisgarh State Open School (CGSOS). The initiative aims to improve literacy, confidence, knowledge, and life skills among girls and women, while strengthening awareness about the importance of education in rural communities with the aim of gender equality and women empowerment. The project currently reaches 1065 girls and women across the project villages.

Our Youth Development Fellowship Program supported by Azim Premji Foundation empowers young grassroots leaders to address social inequalities and strengthen community participation in governance. The initiative supports 50 fellows, selected in two cohorts of 25, who already have experience working with marginalized communities. Over a three-year fellowship, these youth leaders design and implement social action projects that respond to local community needs. Fellows work directly with communities to improve access to essential welfare schemes such as ration, pensions, and MGNREGA, while also addressing civic issues including roads, water, drainage, electricity, and local governance challenges. They identify discriminatory social practices that lead to exclusion and take collective action to promote citizenship, equality, and social justice. To strengthen their leadership and field work, fellows participate in structured capacity-building initiatives, including orientation sessions, cross-learning workshops, and mentoring support. Training focuses on practical tools such as community mapping, understanding forest and land rights, governance processes, social security systems, and legal rights of vulnerable groups including Adivasis and Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Continuous mentoring through field visits, online support, and six-monthly review meetings ensures sustained learning and impact.

Through this program, fellows build community collectives and core action teams that mobilize people to address local issues, advocate for rights, and strengthen democratic participation. By the end of the fellowship, the program will have nurtured 50 committed youth leaders who drive community-led solutions and create long-term pathways for inclusive development.