Education is the key to changing the nation and a way to live a self-sustainable life. Educating the females, especially the new generations is a pillar for strong nation-building. We as a company have seen that, when we properly educate girls, a gateway of opportunities opens up. It makes more sense in terms of economic development and personal growth in all spheres of life. The true power of self-independence comes through the right education and exposure to the modern world in a more profound way.
Awareness and Education play a walk in role in the life of every individual around the globe, whether it is a girl or a boy, man or woman, young or old education helps an individual to be aware of what’s happening around the globe. Education helps to face society’s challenges and to learn new things and gives a feeling of sustainability and empowerment and to lead a better economy of any given nation. Elinor Organics’ main focus is educating the girl child so that the foundation of the nation can be made stronger and firm. This embraces the basic education at any given government-approved institution as well as private educational bodies. Education is regarded as the root of our given society or community. This is because education is one of the fastest, quickest, and most well-organized methods of encouraging economic growth. Educating the girl child on the ground root level has the ability as well as capability to bring socio-economic changes at a mass level. Our nation Bharat has a constitution that guarantees every individual the right to education. Primary education is a key for overall development.
In so many years of very close observations and have realized that when a girl, especially of the rural sections of our country is protected through her educational rights, the given community or society is assured of its sustainability.
For any given nation, educating the girl child from childhood will help in empowering them in the upcoming years to step forward and give their contribution towards the profitability and development of the country. Another aspect of educating the women is during the helpless conditions or crisis that is faced by the man alone can be overcome if the women are educated and independent and this will also lead to economic independence in the family.
Educating the females including the girls helps to achieve a good and ethical lifestyle. The main power a woman will have when educated enough is, it will give them a power of self-identity and help to know her rights. Education gives the option to choose a profession in any field of her choice with the power of self-confidence. When the woman is educated, she can educate their entire community. For a faster economy and a better environment, the girls should be well equipped and educated. We have observed that the women who lead professional work have better outcomes. In these years while traveling to different rural places and observing the root problems of why girls are withdrawing from the school is violence in the form of harassment when it comes to working, long distance safety, lack of communication as well as transportation. The government is trying to level the girls’ education ratio but still, a huge gap prevails in the ground root levels state-wise, especially in our state.
Research and statistical data reveal that approximately more than 55 to 60 million girls are somewhere sexually harassed in the form of comments and sometimes physical touch also on their way to and from and at school every year which forces them to leave the education in between. These actions have serious consequences when it comes to mental health and can lead to a bad experience of life in early childhood.
The hit of the pandemic in 2019 has created and left a negative impact on the education of girls with many young girls are at risk in the rural communities of not returning to school once they reopen. Available research around the globe has shown that the violence against girls and women especially in the areas where education and awareness are less, has increased during the pandemic and also put their health at risk and their safety concerns have increased. We can have an idea through the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa in the year 2014-2016 where women and many young girls faced more sexual violence, harassment, and overall exploitation both physically and mentally.
With the increase in the number of years of the global pandemic, schools are closing throughout the developing world where teenage pregnancies prevail due to lack of education and if we don’t act now we will see an increased number of girls dropping out of school due to pregnancies and marriage or family pressures. Because of the schools getting closed due to the pandemic their household work burdens have increased and the families are more dependent on the shoulders of these little kids resulting in the decrease of girls’ health as well as overall development. Pandemic situations have negatively encouraged the parents in the rural communities, especially to those who give lower value on a girl’s education to keep their girl child at home and away from the technological world. Parents want the girl child to study at home without taking any outside support which is almost impossible for them to have a full development in all spheres of life, and parents in the rural communities are seeing girl child as a helping hand for all of the household work and this situation gets worse if the child has a single parent.
Moreover, we have keenly observed that after the pandemic crisis got lower, communities, as well as societies, are fewer caregivers as well as attention givers towards a girl child. More care and attention are given to the male child instead and this figure as well as the situation is rising drastically. Since the growth in technology and societies living a modern lifestyle, poverty in the rural areas still has its roots which determines whether a girl child can access and complete her education. Girls face multiple challenges such as low family incomes, living off the grid or in remote locations, or belonging to a minority group, caste, and religious beliefs.
While our journey in different parts of Uttarakhand, lack of hygiene and sanitation in the deep rural areas, the gap between the local authorities affects all school children. Inadequate modern day facilities, as well as technology are leading the educational system very far away from those who are keen to learn and wish to have a self-sustainable life. We have seen many schools have either unsafe latrines or unsanitary water supplies or none of the above making it very tough for the girls to remain in school when they have their natural biological cycle. No safe sanitation is one of the leading causes preventing girls from entering or attending school. Community beliefs or customs made by our ancestors also stop girls from having full educational rights. After staying with many trial communities up in the mountains we have seen that cultural beliefs and practices set by our current ancestors’ girls are often prevented from attending the school when compared to boys. Parents and the community still believe in educating the male child and not believing in educating the girls which hold an equal opportunity and can definitely lead the nation to a better economy and a better tomorrow.
While living the lifestyle of the rural communities and observing the pattern we are shocked to say that child marriage in a few parts of Uttarakhand especially in the minorities communities still has its roots. No matter how much the government puts effort to bring a change, the ground reality is totally different. The government in the last few years have tried their level best to up-bring the girl child education, but down the root the reality is sad. Poor families in many cases have no choice but to provide their children with labor-intensive work in order to survive. Many of these children especially in the rural areas are invisible and out of sight as well as out of the reach of the government and the laws that protect them. Girls who are involved in taking care of the family or domestic household work are the most invisible of all. Nowadays more girl child laborers can be spotted in every corner of the world working day in and day out spending most of their precious childhood in harsh working conditions instead of in a classroom where they belong.
Since many good initiatives have been taken by the current government like Beti Padhao Beti Bachao, Shiksha Abhiyaan and many more alike initiatives, distance to the nearby school and cost of education as well as extra activities also plays a major role in the education system especially the girl child because females still face lots of criticism from the society. In many regions where the school centers are either far or require hours of walking with no safety, stop the girls from entering into the school and availing the education they deserve as we have discussed previously. According to the law set by our country, primary education is the right of every child in Bharat and should be free. But with an increase in expenses and modern technology taking over the world, there are many associated and hidden costs that prove to be a burden for struggling families to cope with. Be it dress, be it textbooks, school fees, uniforms, or transportation. When asked by a few families up in the regions of our state the community said they give more preference when there is a choice of education between the girl and a boy. With the change in the climate and climatic crisis, many indigenous families bear invincible natural losses like rain or no rain or pandemics, because of which their need for education fades when compared to simple survival and this figure is increasing day by day.
We have strongly observed that girls can be easily educated if the gap between the local authorities and the local communities can be somehow leveled. We cannot absolutely level it, it’s way too far but in a matter of 7 to 10 years we can provide them a soft cushion both to the local authorities and the communities in fulfilling the gap and getting the right to education in every corner. After having conversations with thousands of girls in these years we have learned that every child wishes to study and wants to avail the benefits of education and have hope for a bright future. As a Nation’s Company we are trying our level best to ensure that wherever we work, we work to defend the rights of girls as well as the women who can play a major role in raising the economy of the nation. We strongly make connections with the family and the entire community to help them understand the importance of girls and why their rights must be protected. Overall we are trying to understand the importance of supporting girls’ education and women empowerment and their rights and creating a food forest for the survival of every individual and fighting the global food crisis.
It’s time for every citizen of the world to come together hand in hand and must understand the social responsibility and should contribute their share in making the world a better place to live. Together we can definitely bring a change.
Education creates awareness and empowerment and gives a self-sufficient and self-sustainable lifestyle.
Sustainability through education, empowerment and self sufficiency through digitalization for a better conscious tomorrow.
Family: Elinor Organics
Leave a Reply