As many as 386 children have been enrolled in Madhya Pradesh under the Girls Education Programme (GEP), which takes each girl as a unit and the entire programme is designed keeping her interests in view,” said Mansha Joshi, programme officer of the voluntary organisation Room to Read.
Academic support, material support and mentoring in the GEP are centered on girls' specific needs, basis individual girl need assessments, she added.
While speaking to the media persons here on Thursday, Joshi said that one of the children groups protested against the water facility in the community and greatly influenced their elders not to vote for the elections until they are provided with safe drinking water.
She stated that each individual girl is tracked by a social mobilizer (a woman from the local community) as a mentor to fulfill the immediate or long term challenges of the girl.
Girls Education Program was initiated in Madhya Pradesh in year 2005 in 4 districts i.e. Betul, Devas, Tikamgarh and Bhopal. With the commencement of Girls Education Program 1089 girls were enrolled, she added.
Talking about her organisation, Joshi said, “Education is a 'gendered' question for especially adolescent girls. ‘Room to Read’ works with them and their families so that the girls complete their grade 12.
We stay, guide and mentor the girls till she completes her grade 12, we strive hard to strengthen her own and her families' commitment towards education.”Room to Read India Trust was established in 2003.
Girls' Education Programme is currently functional in seven states namely Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Telangana,” she added.