It is hard not to notice Arbeena in a class. Always smiling she shines out in the group most of the times. Although I had been to the school for a few times, Arbeena and I had not really broken ice. Always shy and smiling she would greet me and get on with her class-work. It is while drawing for the mothers’ day cards that we became friends and I learned more about her.Arbeena is 13 years, and is one of the ten daughters in...
Read more

Being a camp coordinator of a residential school for hundred girls is not an easy job description. The fact that none of these hundred girls have ever lived away from home before doesn’t make the task any easier. This is the story of Poonam Gupta, the new camp coordinator of Udaan who joined the team more than six months ago. A teacher by profession, Poonam has been working in education projects for the last eight years. She has been managing residential schools for the majority of...
Read more

Fajru Khan, 40 years young and dynamic, is an inspiration to many. He has been working in the region of Mewat for last 14 years in various education projects. He joined Udaan as a field coordinator 6 months back.  “His true calling” he says, “is to work for girls’ education. And my mission is to make Mewat a region which is not looked down upon but considered an example!”When speaking about the community Fajru says, “No doubt, this community is very difficult to work with....
Read more

For nearly a year, I have been telling you stories about girls and their lives at the Udaan school in Mewat. But have you ever wondered about the history of the Udaan program? Where and when did it all begin? The Udaan model was created in 1999 in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh, India where it is still running successfully– and I recently had a chance to visit. Not only did I meet girls from the current batch of new students but also had an...
Read more

The recent incident of gang rape and subsequent death of a 23 year old woman in India has shocked the entire nation. The mass protests and public angst over ever-growing violence against women and girls has been reported widely around the world.While violence against women is a harrowing reality everywhere, it assumes gigantic proportions in a patriarchal system like that of India. In India, CARE addresses the issue of violence against women through focused interventions. We do this by strengthening policies, and systems, engaging with...
Read more