Why we stand #WITHMALALA

 

Malala Yousafzai, who had been targeted for speaking out on behalf of girls’ education in her region of Swat Valley in Pakistan, was wounded when Taliban gunmen opened fire on her and her friends on their school bus. Aged just 15 she was shot in the head, sparking international media outrage.

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Malala has since emerged as a leading campaigner for the rights of children worldwide and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014. As an education activist and the world’s youngest Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Malala has been an inspiration to young girls for several years. Since 2015, Snehalaya has been collaborating with the Malala Fund and with great enthusiasm, celebrating Malala Day every 12 July.  

 

What we do

 

​Despite the immense progress that has been made with the Right of Children to Free and compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, the state of secondary education remains troublesome, particularly for girls. In Ahmednagar, Maharashtra where we operate, there is much need to advocate for girls’ education amongst Dalit, tribal and nomadic communities, as well as people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Sadly, young girls are often kept out of school to support low-income families, and become vulnerable targets of commercial sex traffickers, who operate heavily in the region. We believe in equal access to education for all, and when women are educated, their whole community benefits.

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In 2015, we joined with Malala Fund to promote girl's education by promoting the documentary of her story. Since then we have remained committed to inspire girls throughout our projects, district and beyond. Highlights have included:

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Ongoing: Malala Peer Mentors

 

2015:  He Named me Malala Indian Premiere, Mumbai 

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2016: He Named me Malala Roadshow. Ahmednagar District 

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2016: Snehalaya campaign for equal education 

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2017: Educate, Empower, Lead (EEL)

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2017-2018: Youth Camps

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2018: Peer Mentors meet Child Welfare Committee

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2019: Engaging with schools

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2021: Malala Day - 2 weeks of online workshops

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2022: Malala Day - preventing child marriage

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2023: Malala Premier League