Kishan Kunwar’s inspiring journey as a Pragati Prerak

Kishan Kunwar is a young woman from the Pali district in Rajasthan. As there was no college near her home, she had to travel 22.5 km to complete her Master’s degree. She is the first girl in her family to achieve this milestone.

With her degree, she started teaching at a private school. After teaching for two years, Kishan was selected for the Chief Minister’s Fellowship Programme, a skilled-based program by the government. Under this fellowship, she taught children who struggled with education in government schools and worked closely with them to enhance their academic level for two years. When the pandemic struck, and schools were closed, she set up a home library in her community and taught children there.

After schools reopened, Kishan observed a significant learning gap among the children in her village. Motivated to make a difference, she resumed teaching at government schools in her community. In 2022, Kishan came across Educate Girls working in her village and joined as a Prerak for Educate Girls’ Pragati – a second chance program for adolescent girls and young women to complete their 10th Grade.

“My first objective was to complete all the training for Pragati. By identifying girls who had dropped out, enrolling them in the State Open School and conducting camps, I helped them pass their class 10 exams with good results,” said Kishan. 

Kishan tirelessly reaches out to girls between the ages of 14 and 29 to identify those who are not attending school. Through these outreach campaigns, she engages directly with out-of-school adolescent girls and young women and their parents, employing empathy and determination to convince them of the importance of sending their daughters to Pragati camps. Kishan passionately discusses the myriad benefits of completing board exams, often sharing her own inspiring story to motivate and encourage the girls and their families.

Kishan’s efforts have resulted in 50 girls receiving her guidance and support to successfully enrol for their Grade 10 board exams, marking a significant milestone in their educational journey. Her dedication and personalised approach have made a tangible impact on the lives of these girls, empowering them to pursue their academic aspirations.

Along with motivating Pragati learners to study, she teaches them Life Skills so that they can gain confidence and become resilient. She empowers them to fight their problems on their own. Being a self-made woman, she is a role model for all the adolescent girls she interacts with. Kishan advances Educate Girls’ mission and vision in more ways than one.