The Inception
In 2013, Akshita Soni — then a first-year student of LSR College — and Arnav Soni, a Class IX student of DPS R.K. Puram, were on a holiday to their ancestral village, Bajwara, Punjab. The plight of the girl child and the underprivileged women moved them. The girls had to relinquish their secondary education to work in the fields or in household chores. The women, despite good vocational skills, languished at home owing to societal pressures against commuting to work. Some research and innovative thinking got them into action.
The Research
Despite exponential growth and prosperity in India, there is still a stark irony in the position of the underprivileged — specifically women. In mofussil India, girls strive to finish even their primary education, and women, despite being adept in a vocation, confine themselves to household chores. Intensive research by Team MSM indicated a phenomenally high drop-out rate amongst school girls in secondary classes. A UNESCO report reveals drop-out rates as high as 60% amongst girls in senior-secondary classes in India, owing to financial constraints. Hidden costs of schooling — books, uniforms and the like — are a major cause. Even though schooling is free in Government schools, the government withdraws the subsidy for uniforms after the 8th standard, and impoverished families are unable to afford them, leading to dropouts.
High Dropout
Secondary-school costs create insurmountable barriers for low-income families.
Resource Gap
Uniforms and stationery are often overlooked in standard aid programmes.
The Dual Benefit Strategy
We came up with a novel, dual-benefit idea: free uniforms for the girls of Class IX to XII, and these to be got stitched by the village women. The girls got the much-needed support to continue their secondary education. The women, in turn, got to work and earn by stitching these uniforms. Thus was born Major Soni Mission Foundation — a not-for-profit entity in the memory of their grandfather.
Economic Empowerment
Generating sustainable income for women in rural communities.
Educational Retention
Eliminating the uniform-cost barrier for thousands of students.
Financial freedom and gainful vocation, hand in hand.
The Activities
All girls from Class IX to XII of several Govt. Senior Secondary Schools were handed complete sets of uniform — salwar, kameez, chunni, shoes and socks. Underprivileged rural women adept at stitching were chosen and, after working through the family mindset against working post-marriage, were initiated into making uniforms for the school girls.
Distribution at Bajwara
Girl students of Govt. Senior Secondary School, Bajwara, with Foundation executives after receiving their school-dress sets gratis from the Foundation.
Distribution at Jian
Girl students of Govt. Senior Secondary School, Jian, Chabewal pose with the set of school dress received gratis from the Foundation.
Women Empowerment
Almost 50 women from the village Bajwara stitched the salwar & kameez part of the girls’ school uniforms.