Full Title of the Project
Improving Education Amongst Underprivileged Communities in Urban Poverty Zones of Western Uttar Pradesh, India.

Locations
Meerut, Moradabad and Aligarh cities of Uttar Pradesh, India

Duration of Project
4 years (began in March 2009)

The Focus
The project addresses the under-served populations of disadvantaged urban poor communities where the formal schooling system has failed in attracting the girl children due to social and cultural complexities. The project directly complements the government’s Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in target districts and contributes towards achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs):

a) Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education: Project is to ensure that all boys and girls complete a full course of primary schooling
b) Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women: The project aims to close the access gap for education to the girl children, and it is working towards gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Specific Objective
To complement and contribute to the SSA, by mobilizing key stakeholders, establishing community education committees and alternative education units and strengthening formal education structures to help increase access, support mainstreaming; improve retention levels and completion of schooling by children, particularly girls, from disadvantaged minority communities living in 3 urban districts of Western Uttar Pradesh.

Main Groups of Activities
A) Mobilization, Participation and Capacity Building of Stakeholders
B) Education of the poor girl children through alternative education units (AEUs)
C) Increasing the Enrolment of poor girl children in formal schools
D) Strengthening the formal schools and education system
E) General education of girls on health, sanitation and gender justice
F) Monitoring, Documentation and Dissemination