Beyond the classroom: How NGO Prayas integrates social justice with rural education in Rajasthan

By Bharat Dogra 

While many NGOs promote and improve education in remote rural areas, the Prayas voluntary organization stands out. For over four decades, in South Rajasthan (specifically in Chittorgarh and Pratapgarh districts), Prayas has integrated educational promotion with social justice concerns.

A prime example is Aadharshila (AS), a residential center in Bhadesar, Chittorgarh, dedicated to educating adolescent girls. It accommodates approximately 60 girls from marginalized communities—particularly tribal, Dalit, and OBC—who lack educational support or have fallen behind due to adverse home conditions. Supported by Prayas, AS provides a conducive learning environment where these girls can catch up on their studies, prepare for higher education, and attend regular school. Many girls who arrive with minimal educational skills are able to complete their schooling and even begin college. For instance, Puja and Tanu, two AS students now pursuing college education, strongly assert that college would have been impossible without Aadharshila.

Suman, AS coordinator, is also involved in broader mobilization efforts for Dalit and tribal communities, having suffered injuries from powerful individuals during such activism. She explains, "Aadharshila was started by Khemraj Ji (a renowned social activist and former Prayas director) with the broader vision that stable and sustainable progress for weaker sections is impossible without educating girls and women." While girls attend regular school, AS dedicates the rest of the day to enhancing their educational skills and engaging them in extracurricular activities. This has significantly boosted their confidence; their plays and songs have earned praise in major cities like Bhopal and Delhi, and they have also won sports prizes.

Child marriage is a persistent issue in this region. Dr. Narendra Gupta, founder of Prayas, states, "Promoting girls' education is the best way to reduce child marriage. If all girls can complete school, child marriage will certainly decrease significantly."

To address pressing needs, AS can relax age requirements. 'S', a rape victim who lost her legs after being thrown onto a railway track, found the strength to continue her education with AS's help despite extreme shock and disability. A visiting German journalist even helped construct a room for her. Suman highlights her courage: "In her specially designed scooter, she sometimes offered to take me to her village." AS serves as a vital refuge for such courageous girls in distress.

Although primarily for children from weaker sections, AS also extended help to a cancer patient from a more privileged background, assisting in his two daughters' education. These girls are now well on their way to higher education.

During a recent visit to the AS campus, students performed a play conveying a powerful message about justice and equality, aligned with the Indian constitution. Their songs also demonstrated a strong commitment to justice.

Indeed, integrating education with justice has always been a cornerstone of Prayas's efforts. Starting in the late seventies and early eighties, Prayas initiated adult literacy classes in villages with high illiteracy rates, focusing on the poorest sections. These classes also became forums for discussing immediate justice-based concerns and urgent needs of villagers.

Notably, several senior government officials supported this justice orientation. Anil Bordia, who later became the country's most senior educational officer, was particularly helpful.

In many remote villages, Prayas established the first schools, which later became the foundation for government-run schools. Ganga Ram, a former Prayas school student and now an activist, recounts, "There was no regular school, but Prayas people like Narendra Gupta and Preeti Oja came to our villages, offering hope. Without the school they started, I wouldn't have been educated."

Narendra Gupta adds, "It's gratifying to see that many villagers from the poorest sections who received their initial education at Prayas centers later secured employment opportunities that brought them into or close to the middle class."

Beyond these tangible benefits, the link between educational efforts and justice concerns has yielded broader social gains. This is evident in the ongoing, albeit sometimes sporadic, mobilization efforts for justice in many of these villages.

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The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Saving Earth for Children, Man over Machine, A Day in 2071, and Planet in Peril