Gift of sight and knowledge

Crystal Kasper is organizing this fundraiser.

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For the last 13 years, Pardada Pardadi Educational Society has been on a mission to strengthen and empower 1300 young female students from 62 rural villages in Anupshahr, India. In the absence of an educational oppurtunity, many of these girls would be subject to marriage before the age of 18, victims of illiteracy, financially dependent, and without medical care. Pardada Pardadi recognizes that it is not just “an education a woman needs, but also financial and social empowerment if she is to be empowered." It is with this goal in mind that the school was structured. The girls are given a choice of pursuing vocational courses, such as sewing or cooking, or to pursue higher education after the tenth grade. Many of these women are first-time earners and are taught the valuable skills of working in a business unit. In the event that a graduate remains unemployed after graduation, she is offered the opportunity to return to the educational society for employment. In addition, the school offers students three nutritious meals a day, showers and toilets. Every student is taught personal hygiene and the importance of health care, skills transferable through the community via these students. In essence, they are ambassadors of self-care and education within their villages.

In October 2014, best friends and female professionals, Crystal Kasper and Lucy Howey will travel to Pardada Pardadi to spend two weeks with these inspiring young women. Crystal, an optometrist, will conduct eye exams for students. Without the ability to see properly, a young student is unable to learn to their potential and, as an education is liberation, a proper pair of glasses can be a life-changing gift to one of these students.

Lucy, a biologist, conservationist and business owner, will spend two weeks teaching a science curriculum to students. For a woman, a career in science is a challenge in any society, but especially so in developing parts of the world, such as rural India. Lucy hopes to encourage curiosity about the natural world and introduce the value of land and resource conservation to these young girls.

So, we ask you, our family and friends, to support our upcoming adventure. Your financial gifts will help us purchase school supplies, sunglasses, and prescription glasses for the students. Only three dollars is needed to purchase a pair of prescription glasses for a student. And only one dollar is needed for a pair of sunglasses, an important investment for a child in India where sun exposure is strong all year-round. We sincerely thank you for all of your ongoing support and encouragement you've offered us leading up to this trip, we wouldn’t be able to do this without you!

“Where systems exist, ordinary people can do extraordinary work. In the absence of systems, extraordinary people do ordinary work.” Sam Singh, founder of Pardada Pardadi

Learn more about Pardada Pardadi here:http://www.education4change.org/