Aga Khan Foundation (India)’s Project Lehar, which means wave in Urdu, works to empower and improve the quality of life of out-of-school adolescent girls.
It takes a three pronged empowerment approach for adolescents, comprising of scholastic support, vocational training and life skills education.
It supports out-of-school girls to re-enroll into school and distance learning programmes, especially for Class 10 exams. It trains girls in vocational skills to enter the formal job market and fosters entrepreneurship through innovative projects suited to the local context, like mushroom cultivation
Cutting across both the scholastic and vocational skills courses is life skills training which helps the girls build their confidence and agency, and understanding of how to successfully overcome the challenges they face in their day-to-day lives.
Project Lehar was begun in 2015 with support from the United Nations Population Fund and the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives.
These case studies collected since 2016, reflect the transformative journey the girls have taken towards their own social and economic empowerment.
We hope you enjoy them.
