Problem

Girls in India do not have role models from low-income backgrounds who have completed their education and transformed their lives. Lack of role models has been cited as a key factor for lower aspirations of girls, and therefore for dropping out from school. Role models projected in current media belong to privileged backgrounds and so cannot motivate girls from disadvantaged communities to continue their education and work towards changing their lives, and that of their communities.

The Gift

The gift will support the creation of the Girl Stars Music Video to inspire millions of girls in India to complete their education. The music video is part of the award winning Girl Stars multi-media campaign (movies, books, radio series) which creates icons of everyday women who have changed their lives by going to school. Girl Stars are true stories of 15 women from disadvantaged communities in India who used their education to transform their lives and of those around them. The music video will feature these 15 Girl Stars. Our target is girls 10 – 16 years old at risk from dropping out of school, with an aim to encourage girls to stay in school by showing what girls can do if they go to school. The music video once created will be repeatedly broadcast on national television networks reaching 750 million people across India. You can hear the song on www.goingtoschool.com The song has been sung by 11 year old Durga Vanarchi – a street performer who sings and dances in the local trains in Bombay to earn a living.