Help 120 girls and young women from tribal communities in Kodaikanal Hills of Tamil Nadu, India, learn computer skills.

Why we care: Poverty and cultural systems often drive families of girls and young women from tribal communities in the Kodaikanal Hills to often dropout of school and get married.

How we’re solving this: Build computer skills for girls and young women to raise their economic status and delay marriage.

This project will help Mutual Education for Empowerment and Rural Action or MEERA Foundation develop a Computer Centre where 120 girls and young women will develop basic computer skills. These will include computer operation, data entry, and desktop publishing.

In addition to offering computer skills training, MEERA Foundation will also support older graduates secure employment opportunities at local business, such as hotels and tourist centers.

Although this is MEERA Foundation’s first computer training course, the foundation has offered training in vocational skills before. In 2005, MEERA Foundation in collaboration with Mother Teresa Women’s University of Kodaikanal, offered training in tailoring, which helped several participants launch a local business.

MEERA Foundation is a member of Girls Not Brides a global partnership of more than 250 non-governmental organizations committed to end child marriage.

www.girlsnotbrides.org 
@GirlsNotBrides