#ActNow for Child Protection
I take the local train to go to work every day. The most heart-breaking part of my trip is Mahim Junction. In this particular area, every day I see half naked kids sorting through garbage.…
Education
Annual Union Budget of India
On February 28th the Indian Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley, presented the Union Budget for 2015-16. To quote trak.in, “the budget 2015-16 has been widely hailed as a #SuperBudget, which will put India firmly on the…
Of International Women’s Day (IWD), ocean liners and girls’ education
The 8th of March marks the opportunity for the public debate cycle on gender equality to reach its annual climax. Every year, the press will refer to a wide range of women-related issues and (re-)publish…
The face of women empowerment in Mumbai’s poor communities
Last week, on Thursday, I went to visit one of the disadvantaged communities in Mumbai, where Aangan runs its PACT (Parents and Children Against Trafficking/Harm) program. “Through PACT, adult volunteers in the community are trained…
World Day of Social Justice in Mumbai
20th of February 2015 was the World Day of Social Justice. If you would have asked me 6 months ago about this day, I did not even know it existed. But then, 6 months ago…
First Impressions (Or Finding Comfort in a Sea of Colorful Chaos)
Transition is never easy, yet somehow I have managed to stay sane in the hectic metropolis known as Mumbai. Maybe I can attribute my success to previous experience living in a developing country. After 3…
A visit to the field
After several months without going to the field, I finally got a chance this week to return to rural Rajasthan where Educate Girls’ runs its program. For me this is probably the most exciting part…
Why is Educate Girls launching the first Payment-by-Results program in India?
Alex and I have been quite busy lately at Educate Girls… Many exciting projects are taking shape, meaning that the work load is constantly increasing. A great opportunity for us to learn more and to…
Getting child brides back to school
Last week, young Sita from Kinwarli, Rajasthan, got beat up and thrown out of her husband’s house after she went against his wishes and took her 10th grade exam. Since her in-laws wouldn’t allow her to…
Educating Girls in India: Why it’s so difficult and what one NGO is doing about it
Quality, universal education is a fundamental right as well as a necessary component for achieving social and economic development in other spheres. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon noted that the persistence of high rates…
Scratching the Surface: First Impressions in Mumbai
Mumbai is on the surface a seething mass of people and vehicles crushed into an improbably small and hot space. The heat of everyone forcing their way through the crowds only makes it hotter and…