Skip to main content

Educate Girls’ Team Balika plants 6000 saplings: Ek Pedh Balika Shiksha initiative

By Kush Sharma* 
Educate Girls, a non-profit organisation committed to working for girls' education in rural India, organised a Plantation Drive as part of its initiative 'Ek Pedh Balika Shiksha ke Liye' to mark International Youth Day on August 12. The event witnessed over 4,700 volunteers, from Team Balik come together to plant 6,000 tree saplings across 3 states.
Undertaken by Educate Girl' devoted team of community volunteers, known as Team Balika, the theme of this impactful initiative was ‘Ek Pedh Balika Shiksha ke Liye’ translating to ‘A Tree for Girls’ Education’, aligning seamlessly with this year’s overarching theme of "Green Skills for Youth: Towards a Sustainable World”.
The plantation drive saw over 4,700 Team Balika members planting over 6000 tree saplings across the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh. In addition to highlighting the importance of girls’ education, this initiative by Educate Girls also aimed at drawing focus towards its role in fostering sustainability and combating climate change.
As part of the event, volunteers not only planted trees but also engaged in informative sessions about the importance of green practices, encouraging sustainable behaviour in local communities. The drive aimed to sensitise young minds about the environment's fragility and the critical role they play in its preservation.
The "Ek Pedh Balika Shiksha ke Liye" initiative highlights how the connection between girls’ education and the promotion of sustainability and climate change mitigation is unequivocal, and how educated girls rise as formidable catalysts for tackling these issues. With access to quality education, these girls can go on to attain a heightened capacity to propel innovation and promote eco-friendly practices, thereby bringing about transformation within their communities.
"Our Ek Pedh Balika Shiksha ke Liye initiative goes beyond the act of planting trees. It aims to instil environmental sensitivity in young people, promote green skills and draw attention to how education and sustainability are interdependent. Our Team Balika firmly believes that an educated girl signifies more than just an empowered individual; she is a catalyst for positive transformation within her community and the world at large," stated Vikram Singh Solanki, Head of Field Operations, Educate Girls. “Embracing the profound theme of Green Skills For Youth on this year's International Youth Day, this drive strongly resonates with our commitment to driving change, as we collectively contribute to a better world for generations ahead," he further added.
Sunita Devi, Team Balika, Prayagraj District, shared her motivation for the initiative “Every individual has a duty to plant a tree in their life and take care of it. By planting trees in larger numbers, we can conserve the environment. Due to continuous deforestation, environmental pollution is increasing. Through this initiative, we will create awareness in society for both girls’ education and a greener future.
Founded by visionary leader Safeena Husain in 2007, Educate Girls is a non-profit organisation committed to bridging the gender gap and mobilising communities for girls’ education in India’s rural and educationally backward areas. Working in partnership with the government, Educate Girls currently operates in over 21,000 villages of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
---
*Junior Consultant, Educate Girls

Comments

Post a Comment

TRENDING

Civil society at a crossroads: Service delivery vs. rights in the fight for social change

Counterview News   In the latest episode of the podcast Unmute , hosts Gagan Sethi and Minar Pimple convened a profound conversation with two veteran development practitioners to dissect a persistent tension within civil society: the perceived divide between service delivery and the struggle for rights. The episode, titled "Beyond Service Delivery: Civil Society, Rights, and the Politics of Social Change," featured Apoorva Oza , a development practitioner with decades of experience in rural development and institution-building, and Professor Dipa Sinha , a development economist known for her work on food, nutrition, gender, and social policy.
2 comments
»

Sikkim governor row: ALIFA asks centre to explain hurried appointment in Ankita Bhandari case

By A Representative   The All-India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) on Saturday expressed “immense pain and outrage” that even after four years and a national uproar, justice has not been fully delivered in the Ankita Bhandari murder case and that a ruling party politician facing allegations has been “gifted a high-ranking constitutional office.” In a statement, ALIFA extended “unflinching solidarity” to Ankita’s parents, who it said are “fighting for justice on the streets of Delhi,” and demanded that pending the CBI inquiry and judicial decision, the appointment of BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam as Sikkim’s Governor be subject to “immediate presidential review.”
Post a Comment
»

Grain vs. gasoline: How the global biofuel boom threatens India’s food and water security

By Rajiv Shah  A new report published by the international research and advocacy organization GRAIN has warned that the global resurgence of biofuels is triggering a dangerous dynamic of “more fuel, less food, more land grabs.” Driven by intersecting energy security concerns, geopolitical tensions, and aggressive decarbonization mandates, the expanding agrofuel industry is increasingly pitting corporate energy interests against global food security and indigenous land rights. 
Post a Comment
»