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Cultural Festival: Girls Education

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At CITTA, we bring education, empowerment, and healthcare to some of the most remote, disenfranchised populations in the world.
 
This year, CITTA is hosting our first annual Jaisalmer Cultural Festival that will bring together the cultural significance of music in the region and the importance of women's education with the purpose of raising money for one of CITTA's new initiatives, The Rani Ratnavati Girls School and Women’s Empowerment Center.
 
This important project will bring education and stability to the girls and women of this region, as well as preserve the region's fading cultural heritage of weaving and embroidery. 
 
Why Jaisalmer?
In India, girls receive little incentive or support from their families to get an education, as compared to boys. In fact, most regions do not even have a school for these bright aspiring students. This leaves young girls with little hope of reaching their true potential. Specifically, the Rajasthan State has the second lowest literacy rate in all of India, and the Jaisalmer district is the lowest on indicators for Rajasthan, especially in rural areas. With your help, we can bring education to the young women of Jaisalmer.




 
Jaisalmer has one of the most unique and impassioned music traditions in the world. Jaisalmer was India’s gateway to the West (Eurasia, Europe, North Africa) and the music and people are known as the origin of the route of the gypsies that moved across the continent carrying these haunting and powerful songs and music. The music of Jaisalmer has been appreciated throughout the world with performances and it's time to highlight the music and tradition within Jaisalmer itself, giving attendees the privilege of experiencing this passionate music set within the serene, majestic environment from which it evolved. 

With its rich cultural history and our much-needed facilities being developed here, Jaisalmer is the perfect location for our First Annual Jaisalmer Cultural Festival. 
 
More About The Festival:
With the festival fast approaching (Feb. 18-20th), we are turning to you to help us not only ensure the success of this cultural festival, but also keep the much-needed school and women's empowerment center stay on track for 2017 completion with all additional proceeds going towards the project's development. 




More About The Rani Ratnavti Girl's School and Women's Empowerment Center 
Working in collaboration with the Jaisalmer District government, CITTA has developed a sustainable plan to build a facility housing both the school and women's center. The school will give young girls in the region not only the opportunity to learn reading and writing, but also develop expertise skills unique to the region’s economy. The women’s center will bring in skilled local artisans to help enhance traditional skill sets in artistry, which is a centerpiece of the Jaisalmer economy. CITTA has established relationships with high-end markets across Europe and the US (including J.Crew, Donna Karan, Anthropologie, Kate Spade, Barney’s NY, among others) which will work to create projects with the women’s center to bring revenue back to the community while also raising the region’s cultural awareness. 

Diana Kellogg Architects is working pro bono in collaboration with local artisans and contractors to create the girls' school and women’s cooperative in both contemporary and culturally respectful design.

It is our goal through this facility to provide education for 400 young girls, employ nearly 50 women while teaching them traditional artisan craft skills that would otherwise be fading away and build a central community center for surrounding rural villages to gather together for events, traditional music and dance performances in an effort to preserve their area's distinct culture.







For more information on CITTA, our project, or how you can get involved beyond making a donation, contact us.
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Donations 

  • susan handy
    • $500 
    • 7 yrs
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Organizer and beneficiary

Citta Central
Organizer
New York, NY
CITTA Inc.
Beneficiary

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