INVISIBLE GIRL PROJECT

CHILD SPONSORSHIPS: INVISIBLE GIRL PROJECT PARTNERS WITH INDIAN ORGANIZATIONS TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE FOR YOUNG GIRLS AND WOMEN IN INDIA FROM FEMALE GENDERCIDE. OUR MISSION IS TO END THE SCOURGE OF FEMALE GENDERCIDE IN INDIA AND OUR VISION IS AN INDIA WHERE GIRLS AND WOMEN ARE VALUED AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF SOCIETY. WE DEFINE FEMALE GENDERCIDE AS ENCOMPASSING A PLETHORA OF ISSUES THAT PREVENT FEMALES FROM THRIVING IN THEIR LIVES AND BEING ABLE TO FORESEE A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE. THESE ISSUES INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, FETICIDE, INFANTICIDE, CHILD MARRIAGE, LACK OF EDUCATION, LACK OF JOB READY SKILLS, SUPPRESSION OF WOMEN IN HOUSEHOLDS, VIOLENCE, RISK OF BEING VICTIM TO SEX TRAFFICKING, ETC. THE IDEA BEHIND OUR CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM IS THAT INSTEAD OF WAITING TO RESCUE A GIRL OR WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN TRAFFICKED OR OTHERWISE HARMED, WE PREVENT THE GIRLS FROM BEING VULNERABLE TO SUCH RISKS IN THE FIRST PLACE. BY IDENTIFYING YOUNG GIRLS IN COMMUNITIES WHERE OUR PARTNERS OPERATE, WE ARE ABLE TO TAKE SUCH GIRLS INTO OUR CARE. WE PROVIDE THEM NUTRITIOUS FOOD, GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION, NURTURE AND SUPERVISION, COUNSELLING, LIFE SKILLS, AND JOB SKILLS. ABOVE ALL, WE GIVE THESE GIRLS A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, AND A SENSE OF SELF CONFIDENCE AND INCREASING SELF-ESTEEM. THE GIRLS IN OUR CARE THROUGH OUR CHILD SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM, MORE OFTEN THAN NOT, HAVE A REALISTIC SHOT AT SUCCESS IN LIFE. IN 2023, WE PROTECTED AND PROVIDED FOR 1053 GIRLS THROUGH OUR CHILD SPONSORSHIPS PROGRAM.

EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT: INDIA IS A COUNTRY WITH A HUGE POPULATION. IN 2022 IT SURPASSED CHINA AS THE WORLD'S MOST POPULATED COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, A VAST MAJORITY OF THE COUNTRY REMAINS UNDEREDUCATED OR UNEDUCATED. THE COMMUNITIES IN SUCH PARTS OF THE COUNTRY OFTEN CONTINUE TO PERPETRATE UNINFORMED TRADITIONS AND PRACTICES. WE HAVE OBSERVED THROUGH OUR WORK IN INDIA FOR MANY YEARS THAT OFTEN THESE UNINFORMED PRACTICES INCLUDE A LACK OF VALUE GIVEN TO FEMALES IN INDIA. IN MANY COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY WOMEN ARE SEEN AS LESS THAN MEN AND BOYS, AND AS SUCH ARE NOT AFFORDED THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS AND WELLBEING IN LIFE. INVISIBLE GIRL PROJECT'S VISION BEING AN INDIA WHERE GIRLS ARE VALUED EQUALLY, IT IS INCUMBENT ON US AS AN ORGANIZATION TO DO OUR PART TO CHANGE THESE REALITIES AS BEST AS WE CAN. TO THAT END, OUR EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS ARE CRAFTED TO EDUCATE, INFORM, AND TRAIN PEOPLE IN COMMUNITIES WE WORK IN TO UNDERSTAND AND RECOGNIZE, OFTEN FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE DISCRIMINATION OF GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN. OUR OBJECTIVE IS TO RAISE THE AWARENESS AMONG THE POPULACE OF SUCH DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS. OUR TACTICAL OBJECTIVE IS TO SEE AN EVER INCREASING NUMBER OF GIRLS GET AN EDUCATION EARLIER IN THEIR LIFE, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO BEING TO DREAM OF A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE, MOST LIKELY DIFFERENT FROM THAT OF THEIR MOTHERS AND GRANDMOTHERS. IT IS ALSO OUR OBJECTIVE FURTHER TO BEGIN A CONVERSATION WITHIN THE COMMUNITIES AND TO BEGIN A MINDSET TRANSFORMATION. THROUGH OUR WORK IN THESE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES ACROSS INDIA WE HAVE SEEN ANECDOTAL AND OBJECTIVE EVIDENCE THROUGH STUDIES AND SURVEYS THAT MINDSET CHANGE IS HAPPENING. IN ONE OF THE COMMUNITIES IN SOUTH INDIA, THROUGH A RESEARCH STUDY WE DID, WE DISCOVERED A MINDSET CHANGE AMONG THE RESIDENTS OF THAT COMMUNITY TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT IN FIVE YEAR THE NUMBER OF GIRLS ENROLLED IN SCHOOLS WENT UP FROM ABOUT 30% TO ALMOST 90%. IN 2023, WE ALSO EMBARKED ON A NEW STRATEGY TO SCALE THE REACH OF OUR MESSAGE AMONG THE COMMUNITIES, AND TO TEST OUR STRATEGY WE DID A PILOT PROJECT WITH A NEW PARTNER, AND WE WERE ABLE TO REACH 35,000 PEOPLE IN JUST TWO DISTRICTS OF ONE STATE. OUR PREVIOUS EFFORTS AND STRATEGIES OVER THE PAST YEARS HAD YIELDED US SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER NUMBERS. THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT TO US, AND WE INTEND TO FURTHER SCALE OUR REACH AND GET TO SIGNIFICANTLY WIDER SEGMENTS OF THE POPULATION OF THE COUNTRY.