Pratham AUS – striving to improve the quality of education in India and more.

By Sarita Chand

The Pratham Educational Foundation India (‘Pratham’ in short) is the largest NGO in India for education. It was founded on the belief that every child has the right to a quality education. And that literacy is the first step (hence ‘Pratham’) to end the vicious cycle of poverty.

Pratham addresses a unique problem facing India: In one of the world’s largest economies, one-half of its 210 million children cannot read adequately. Without quality education, these children are vulnerable to child labour, child marriage, poverty and exploitation. This is perhaps the greatest challenge facing India today.

Pratham was started in 1995 in Mumbai by Dr Madhav Chavan and Farida Lambay to educate underprivileged children under the age of five. In the past 26 years Pratham has grown to operate in 21 states of India, impacting the lives of about 50 million children through its various programsfocussed on the needs of different cohorts of disadvantaged children and young adults.

Its aim is to improve the quality of education in India and to ensure that all children in India are not only attending but also thriving in school. Using very low-cost and scalable methods, Pratham works in collaboration with the government, local communities, parents, teachers, and volunteers across the country to achieve its mission.

Its volunteers strive to improve learning levels by working alongside established government education programs at the state, district, and village level. In forming partnerships with governments, it leverages existing educational systems to generate literacy improvements in young boys and girls.

Pratham AUS was established in Sydney in 2015 to support Pratham India’s educational programs, focusing on its Second Chance Program for young girls that educates girls who have had to drop out of school in Year 8 for reasons beyond their control. They complete their High School certificate, which then allows them to gain employment or start their own enterprises. The multiplier impact of this is immense.

The Second Chance program operates in nine states of India – currently in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Telangana. Since its inception in 2011 approximately 30,000 girls have been helped to re-open their opportunities for educational growth and employability which then improves the lives of their children, family, and the community.

Pratham AUS is a registered charity with the ACNC (Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission) with a DGR 1 status from the ATO, which makes donations tax deductible. All its office holders are volunteers and all supporting services, such as accounting, auditing, data-base software, are provided on a pro-bono basis.  All net proceeds collected are sent to Pratham India.

It costs Pratham approximately $500 to recruit, enroll and sustain one student for the full program. This amount can change a girl’s life by making her employable, and respect within her community.

Pratham is a community-based, grass-root organisation that relies heavily on volunteers. Because of its low overhead costs 93% of donations received in India go directly to beneficiaries.

For information including donations please visit the Australian website.

Pratham AUS      www.pratham.org.au

Pratham India    www.pratham.org