Room to Read India ensures no girl is left behind once the schools reopen
Room to Read India runs a nationwide campaign called #Harkadambetikesang: Leadership ki Tarang 2021 — An influential, two-week campaign in solidarity with girl students across the country and in light of the upcoming International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2021. Phase I of the campaign was implemented in July earlier this year, and phase II began on September 28 and will continue till October 12 across six states. A series of online and offline activities are implemented in Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Uttarakhand.
Further, Room to Read India plans to do a Podcast Series called “Hausle Ki Dagar” narrating stories of girls and women who have overcome challenges in these times of adversities and demonstrated leadership in various ways to create hope for themselves as well as their peers and community.
On the occasion of the upcoming International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, Room to Read will organise a Webinar with national and international participants. As governments prepare for reopening educational institutions, focus adolescent girls will need additional support and commitment. The webinar’s objective will be to identify the issues at heart and outline possible actions as a first step.
Room to Read is actively working to strengthen girls’ education and works together in multiple directions — at the level of community & family, governments, supporters, civil society, schools, teacher training, and the girls themselves. The webinar will bring everyone together to identify the actions needed to link the girls back to school and ensure they have successfully caught on.
This 120-minute webinar will be scheduled on zoom platform with the Ministry of Education officials, education practitioners, and other interested partners, like-minded organizations, and stakeholders together to discuss:
- Curriculum and Pedagogy in a Post COVID World
- Highlighting Learnings and Gains from the pandemic for girls’ education: especially relevant from a life skills perspective
- Ensuring Teaching and Learning approaches are able to take on from digital and blended learning solutions designed during COVID induced school lockdowns
- Policy Level changes and priorities by Civil society
“I urge you all to join us in strengthening our commitment to girls’ education. Let’s make sure that our girl leaders be appreciated and applauded for their leadership efforts. Through our collective effort, let us ensure that no girl should have to discontinue education, and they are able to pursue learning from their homes till schools are safe to open. Let us join hands and stand together not just to make this campaign a huge success but also celebrate the small drops or large waves of Leadership by adolescent girls’ through #Harkadambetikesang: Leadership Ki Tarang 2021,” said Poornima Garg, Deputy Country Director, Room to Read India.
RtR has already reached out to 15k girls across India and expects a higher reach through the #Harkadambetikesang campaign; despite the many hurdles plaguing distance and online learning, adolescent girls have recognized and understand their strengths and talents and contribute positively to their surroundings. Girls have demonstrated critical thinking and displayed the ability to complete tasks, chores, or assignments successfully, even amid challenges and obstacles. The campaign will attempt to bring forth such stories of Leadership and hope by adolescent girls and their caregivers.
Room to Read is a global organisation transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read India was established in 2003 and presently has programmes in 9 states — Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Its Literacy Program has been implemented in 15,642 government schools, training 25,741 teachers trained in library management and reading activities. TNS
