Safeena Hussain, the founder of ‘Educate Girls,’ made history as the first Indian woman to receive the prestigious WISE Prize, a $500,000 award from the Qatar Foundation. She earned the recognition for mobilizing 1.4 million out-of-school girls in Indian villages to return to mainstream education. The award ceremony took place at the 11th Edition of the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) Summit in Doha.
Reflecting on her journey, Safeena shared that she established ‘Educate Girls’ 16 years ago when initiatives like ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ were unheard of. Her mission aimed to bring girls back to mainstream education, particularly in villages where societal norms deemed girls as liabilities. Safeena faced challenges such as family apathy, lack of motivation, and girls’ reluctance, especially in rural Rajasthan, where the initiative began and later expanded to Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.
Safeena’s personal connection to the cause, having faced a three-year break from studies herself, fueled her determination. Inspired by her aunt’s intervention that led her to the London School of Economics, Safeena vowed to play a similar role for girls facing educational barriers. Her organization, ‘Educate Girls,’ employs a personalized approach, with field agents known as “team Balika” visiting villages and engaging with families to ensure girls are not deprived of education.
Using Artificial Intelligence, the group identifies villages with high numbers of out-of-school girls, empowering over 21,000 gender champions to reach the most vulnerable populations. Safeena emphasized the importance of AI in locating girls efficiently but stressed that human intervention remains crucial for on-the-ground impact.
The WISE Prize for Education, established in 2011, recognizes outstanding contributions to education globally. Safeena Hussain joins Madhav Chavan, co-founder of ‘Pratham,’ as the second Indian recipient of this esteemed award, which acknowledges transformative efforts in the field of education.
Also read: Pratham Education Foundation aids students to resume education
