Educate Girls

Educate Girls is an Indian nonprofit organization founded in 2007 by Safeena Husain to address gender and educational inequality in rural and educationally underserved parts of India. Rather than building a separate school system, the organization works through government schools, village institutions, parents, teachers and trained community volunteers. Its model focuses on finding girls who are out of school, supporting their enrollment and retention, improving the quality of classroom learning, and creating stronger local participation in school governance. The organization began with a small pilot in 50 schools in Rajasthan's Pali district. After the pilot, it received approval to expand to 500 schools in 2008, reaching approximately 70,000 children in the Bali, Sumerpur and Rani blocks with support from partners including UNICEF, Pratham Rajasthan, SERVE and Dream Catchers Foundation. The initiative subsequently expanded across Rajasthan and later into Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The program's operating philosophy is to use existing public education infrastructure while creating community ownership of girls' education. A central component is Team Balika, a network of community volunteers who support door-to-door surveys, family outreach, enrollment campaigns, community meetings and learning activities. Volunteers are trained and supported by Educate Girls staff and typically serve as locally recognized advocates for girls' education. The organization also works with School Management Committees, helping parents, teachers and community leaders assess school needs and prepare School Improvement Plans. This gives local stakeholders a formal role in school administration and encourages accountability beyond individual enrollment drives. Educate Girls also supports learning outcomes for children of both genders. Its Gyan ka Pitara learning materials and remedial activities are designed to strengthen basic competencies in Hindi, English and mathematics, particularly for children in Grades 3 to 5. The organization has additionally promoted Bal Sabhas, or girls' councils, through which girls develop communication, leadership, problem-solving and participation skills. These components make the model broader than a campaign focused only on bringing girls into school: it combines access, retention, learning and agency. The organization became internationally associated with results-based financing through the Educate Girls Development Impact Bond, launched with UBS Optimus Foundation as investor and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation as outcome payer. The bond was described as the world's first development impact bond in the education sector and concluded in 2018 after exceeding its agreed outcome targets. Educate Girls was also selected for HundrED's 2021 Global Collection of education innovations and became the first Indian organization to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2025, according to the supplied reference material. Educate Girls reports operations in more than 20,000 villages across four Indian states, supported by more than 23,000 Team Balika volunteers. Reported cumulative figures include more than 24 million beneficiaries and more than two million out-of-school girls enrolled in school, although impact totals can vary by reporting period and measurement definition. Its continuing role is that of a nonprofit implementation and community-mobilization partner working alongside India's public education system.

Educate Girls was established in 2007 under the leadership of Safeena Husain, whose work had focused on girls' education in India and other developing regions. The organization developed its approach in Rajasthan, where an initial local project tested whether village-level mobilization could improve girls' participation in the public school system. The first test covered 50 schools in Pali district and was associated with the Rajasthan Education Initiative. Following the test phase, Educate Girls obtained government approval for a larger 500-school pilot in 2008. The pilot covered the Bali, Sumerpur and Rani blocks of Pali and worked with approximately 70,000 children. Partnerships with organizations including UNICEF, Pratham Rajasthan, SERVE and Dream Catchers Foundation supported implementation. The model emphasized collaboration with government schools rather than parallel provision: local volunteers and staff identified out-of-school girls, worked with families and village leaders, and helped schools and communities plan responses to barriers affecting attendance. During the following years, the program expanded substantially in Rajasthan, from its initial 500-school footprint to more than 4,425 schools by 2013. Its operating model combined several mechanisms. Door-to-door surveys and government records were used to identify girls who were not enrolled. Community meetings, including Gram Shiksha Sabhas and neighborhood meetings, were used to discuss attendance and persuade families. School Management Committees brought together parents, teachers and village representatives, while School Improvement Plans provided a framework for identifying and addressing local school needs. The Team Balika volunteer network became a defining part of the organization. Volunteers, often among the better-educated young adults in their villages, were trained in outreach, community meetings, enrollment work, leadership and learning support. Educate Girls continued to provide training and ongoing hand-holding so that volunteers could act as education champions within their communities. This structure was intended to make the work locally owned and more sustainable than short-term enrollment campaigns. Educate Girls broadened its work from access to learning quality. Through Gyan ka Pitara, trained volunteers used activities, games, worksheets and other tools to reinforce foundational competencies in Hindi, English and mathematics, particularly for children in Grades 3, 4 and 5. Baseline and follow-up assessments were used to compare learning levels. The organization also supported Bal Sabhas, giving girls a formal forum for leadership, communication and problem-solving practice within upper-primary schools. A significant institutional development came through the Educate Girls Development Impact Bond. In 2017, UBS Optimus Foundation provided reported upfront capital of £238,000 for implementation. The Children's Investment Fund Foundation served as outcome payer, with repayment linked to independently assessed progress against agreed social-impact measures. The bond concluded in 2018 and was reported to have exceeded its targets, making Educate Girls a prominent example of results-based financing in education. The organization later expanded beyond Rajasthan into Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The supplied reference material describes a current footprint of more than 20,000 villages, a volunteer base exceeding 23,000 Team Balika members, more than 24 million cumulative beneficiaries and more than two million girls brought into school. It also notes recognition through HundrED's 2021 Global Collection and the 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Award. These figures and honors should be interpreted according to the reporting period and the methodology used for defining beneficiaries, enrollment and learning impact.

• 2025

  Ramon Magsaysay Award

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  Educate Girls was reported as the first Indian organization to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award.

• 2020

  Selected for HundrED 2021 Global Collection

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  Educate Girls was selected for HundrED's international collection of education innovations for 2021.

• 2018

  Education Development Impact Bond completed

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  The bond concluded after reportedly exceeding its agreed targets for enrollment and learning outcomes.

• 2017

  Development Impact Bond capital raised

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  UBS Optimus Foundation provided reported upfront working capital for the Educate Girls Development Impact Bond, with repayment tied to verified outcomes.

• 2013

  Rajasthan program exceeds 4,425 schools

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  The initiative expanded from its original pilot footprint to more than 4,425 schools in Rajasthan.

• 2008

  Expansion to a 500-school pilot

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  The organization received approval for a pilot covering 500 government schools in Pali district, Rajasthan, working with approximately 70,000 children.

• 2007

  Organization established

  [1]Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org

  Educate Girls was independently established in India under the leadership of founder Safeena Husain.

A community-led, government-partnered nonprofit focused on girls' enrollment, retention, foundational learning and leadership in rural India.

• Community volunteer network

  Team Balika

  Team Balika is Educate Girls' community-volunteer network. Members support door-to-door identification of out-of-school girls, family counseling, village meetings, enrollment activities and school-based learning interventions. Volunteers receive training in outreach, mobilization, leadership and the organization's learning curriculum, with continuing support from Educate Girls staff. The network is designed to place education advocacy within villages and to build community responsibility for girls' schooling.

• Foundational learning curriculum

  Gyan ka Pitara

  Gyan ka Pitara is a remedial learning approach using activity kits, games, worksheets and other interactive materials. It is intended to strengthen foundational competencies in Hindi, English and mathematics, especially for children in Grades 3 to 5 who require additional support. Educate Girls trains community volunteers to use the materials and applies pre- and post-intervention assessments to monitor learning progress.

• Girls' leadership program

  Bal Sabha

  Bal Sabha is a girls' council model facilitated in upper-primary schools. Councils provide girls with opportunities to participate in school life and develop communication, leadership, decision-making and problem-solving skills. The program complements enrollment and retention work by treating girls as active participants in education rather than only as beneficiaries of access initiatives.

• School governance support

  School Improvement Plan support

  Educate Girls supports School Management Committees made up of parents, teachers and community leaders. Staff help committee members assess school conditions, prioritize needs and prepare or implement School Improvement Plans. This work is intended to improve local governance, strengthen community participation and connect enrollment efforts with broader improvements in the school environment.

• 2015Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship recognition

  International

  Safeena Husain received the Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship in recognition of work associated with Educate Girls.

  Outcome. The recognition increased international visibility for the organization's community-led education model.

  Source
• 2008Pali district enrollment and retention pilot

  Rajasthan, India

  Educate Girls expanded its initial test into a 500-school pilot in Pali district. The campaign used household surveys, community meetings and cooperation among village leaders, families, schools and volunteers to identify and enroll out-of-school girls.

  Outcome. The pilot established the community-mobilization model that later supported expansion across Rajasthan and other states.

  Source

• 2017

  Adoption of education-sector impact financingStrategy

  Background

  Educate Girls sought capital to scale delivery while linking financing to measurable improvements in enrollment and learning.

  Action taken

  The organization participated in a Development Impact Bond in which UBS Optimus Foundation supplied upfront capital and the Children's Investment Fund Foundation paid against independently evaluated outcomes.

  Aftermath

  The bond completed in 2018 and was reported to have exceeded its agreed targets, becoming a frequently cited example of results-based education financing.

  Upfront working capital. £238,000 (2017)

  Source

1. 1Educate Girlsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Educate Girls official websiteeducategirls.in