Project Saloni ; Empowering Adolescent Girls

Project Saloni will be implemented in 30 slums of the Lucknow district where development indicators, especially for children, girls and women, are below the state and national averages. As per the multidimensional poverty index report, 2021 of the NITI Aayog in the district is 44.8%. The total literacy rate is 61.75% with a male literacy rate of 70.27% and a female literacy rate of 52.34%. As per the Census 2011, illiteracy is highest with 49% among scheduled castes followed by 44% in OBCs, 39% in scheduled tribes, and 22% in the general category. The secondary and higher education rate is also the lowest with 16% in scheduled castes followed by 23% in OBCs, and 48% in general castes. Adolescent girls and women are trapped in a situation where their age and gender-specific needs are accurately and adequately not categorised and addressed. It leaves them powerless to make essential life choices. The gender gaps in schooling are higher among girls when compared with boys across the age groups. The number of schools drops drastically after the primary and upper primary stage of schooling due to the existing mindset towards girls, long distance of schools, safety concerns and poverty. Children and adolescents who are enrolled in schools have learning gaps in their basic skills and are not able to continue with their education as they find it hard to cope with the curriculum as it progresses. 20.4% of girls below the age of 18 years are child brides. 42% of adolescent girls and young women in the age group of 15 to 24 years do not have access to safe menstrual hygiene mechanisms such as sanitary pads. 61.1% of adolescent girls aged 15-19 years. 72% of girls married before the age of marriage received no education. Various unmapped factors such as depression, and suppressed aspirations due to existing social, cultural and behavioural conditioning push them into a whirlpool of deprivations.

Adolescent girl empowerment is a holistic aspiration and requires to focus on multiple empowerment aspects such as health, education, livelihood, and most importantly, mindset changes towards the girl child. Therefore, Project Saloni will implement a holistic and multi-sectoral approach; one that covers education, life skills development, health, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health knowledge, and that targets behaviour change communication to adolescent girls, their peers, parents, and the community at large.
The key objectives of Project Saloni based on the cornerstones of adolescent girls empowerment are: (1) Encouraging education by increasing enrolment and retention of the children and adolescent girls and boys in schools. (2 Improving quality education and learning outcomes by establishing Basic Skill learning Labs in schools. (3) Building awareness and knowledge on their rights and entitlements and influencing behaviours and decisions affecting them. (4) Life Skill Education for adolescent girls through village resource centres. (5) Forming linkages with government schemes and service provisions to facilitate access to their entitlements.
The following are indicators against which we will measure the outputs and outcomes of the project

• Number of adolescent girls with knowledge of basic life skills.
• Number of out-of-school adolescent girls enrolled and retained in school.
• Average level of education amongst adolescent girls and change over time.
• Number of adolescent girls gained abilities to identify, raise and resolve the issues affecting them.
• Number of early child marriages postponed.
• Number of adolescent youth with adequate age-specific knowledge of sexual and reproductive health.
• Number of adolescent girls and women using sanitary napkins for menstrual and health management.
• Number of families adopting hand-washing with soap at critical times.
• Increase in knowledge and uptake of government schemes for adolescent girls.
• Number of women entrepreneurs encouraged through self-help groups.
• Number of Households are demanding and accessing their entitlements under government schemes and services