Student Name: Shreeya Yarlagadda – Runner Up (Middle School Cohort)

Grade During 2019-2020 Academic Year: 8th Grade

Hometown: Johnston, IA

Commitment Towards Personal Empowerment 

Even though education is a necessity across the globe, rural Indian families prioritize the education of boys over girls. Girls, for ages, were deemed to be housewives and got married off by the time they were teenagers. However, if a family steps up to send their girl to school, quality and access to education are still major concerns. When a girl hits puberty, it is more likely that she will walk home, located a couple of miles away, to access a proper bathroom. These consistent interruptions from their daily lives along with a lack of amenities at the schools clash and as a result, most of these girls do not return to school and end up dropping out of school entirely. 

 Hearing heart-wrenching acid attack stories of girls along with the personal stories shared by my mother incited my passion for the topic. In partnership with the Sehgal Foundation, I have started ‘Project Life Skills’ for adolescent girls, a five-month life skills education, and a digital literacy program that costs $4,000. Students graduate with basic life skills such as hygiene, self-confidence building, and awareness of their basic rights. The digital literacy track of the program teaches how to operate laptops and use various government programs. In 2017, when I first decided to take up this project, my then teacher and my principal, along with my entire class, were extremely supportive and have remained so. 

We conducted various fundraisers such as building a garden bench for auctions, Read-a-Thon, homemade Indian dinner night, and free-will donations. This process not only helped me foster my public speaking skills and become more aware of global issues but also served well for my friends. Change is being made not only by fundraising for those who need help, but also by educating the community about the problems of girls in the other half of the world. Two questions I constantly face from my donors are, "Why did you decide to do this project?” and “Why should I donate to you?" The answers are very simple: I am a girl and a very fortunate one at that. With many privileges in life, my generation has the “power to change the world,” unlike earlier generations. An empowered girl has the ability to empower the entire society. 

Through Project Life Skills, we provide similar strength and empowerment to many girls so they can stand up for their basic rights. During my last summer trip to schools in Rajasthan, we asked one question at every school we visited: “Do you know at least one person who is a victim of child marriage?” Almost all said yes. When asked what they would do differently now, their answer showed their commitment to personal empowerment. They will first talk to their parents, complain to teachers, and as a last resort go to the police for help.                                         

Through skill donations, generous free-will donations, and matching funds from Sehgal Foundation, so far we have raised $16,000. This amount was used towards four projects implemented in rural villages in Rajasthan, India that benefited nearly 150 girls.  As we move towards fall, under current pandemic situations, consideration of the rise in unemployment is as important as our continued efforts towards empowering more girls. It is not only important to think creatively about ways to promote education amongst these girls, but it is the right time to educate ourselves and people around us about this issue and strive towards an empowered world. As always, coming together is a start, staying together makes progress, and working together marks success. 

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