In the village of Sacharil, opportunities for girls to continue their education have historically been extremely limited. For many families, poverty and distance from larger towns made it difficult to send girls beyond primary school.
“There was only one girls primary school here,” explains Chetan, a community member and local doctor. “Poor families do not have enough money to send their daughters to the city to study or live there.”
For years, many girls in the village grew up without access to further education, leaving families worried about what opportunities their daughters would have in the future. That began to change when the learning centre opened in the community. Today, around 30 girls are enrolled at the centre, with more families continuing to come forward and register their daughters.
“There has been a big improvement in the girls,” Chetan says. “We are very grateful for this school.”
As a doctor who regularly visits homes within the community, Chetan has played an important role in encouraging families to support girls’ education. Over time, he has built strong trust within the village, helping reassure parents about the importance of sending their daughters to school.
“People listen to us because they trust us,” he explains. “Whenever we speak to them about girls’ education, they feel confident.”
Before the learning centre opened, education for girls was not widely prioritised within the community. Many girls remained uneducated, with few opportunities available beyond household responsibilities and early marriage. As families began seeing the impact of education on the girls already attending the centre, attitudes slowly started to shift.
“Awareness among the girls has improved greatly,” Chetan says. “Parents are also very happy about this.”
Alongside literacy and learning, families have noticed changes in the girls’ confidence, communication and behaviour at home.
“Their manners and conduct have improved a lot,” he explains. “The way they speak and carry themselves has changed positively.”
When READ Foundation first introduced the idea of opening the learning centre, community meetings were held with parents, elders and village members to explain how the school would operate and how girls could safely continue their education within the village itself.
“At first, people said, ‘We will wait and see,’” Chetan recalls. “But once the school opened, everyone became satisfied.”
For families in Sacharil, having a local learning centre has removed barriers that once prevented many girls from attending school altogether. Parents no longer have to worry about sending daughters far away to continue their education or finding accommodation in nearby towns they cannot afford. The presence of trusted local teachers and community oversight has also helped families feel more comfortable supporting girls’ education.
Today, the community hopes the school can continue expanding so girls are able to study beyond primary level and continue their education through matric.
“We want our girls to continue progressing further,” Chetan says. “If this school is expanded, we will remain very thankful.”
For Chetan, the changes already taking place within the village are a reminder of how education can begin transforming not only individual girls’ futures, but the confidence and aspirations of entire communities.
The Empower Her project was made possible thanks to generous public donations to READ Foundation, matched by funding from the UK government through UK Aid Match. Through safe, inclusive and community-based learning spaces, the project is helping out-of-school girls aged 6–16 access education closer to home.
