Supporters, if you’ve been following our journey, you’re familiar with the incredible impact made possible by our Child Sponsors. Thanks to their generous contributions, our girls receive the essential resources and nurturing required for their flourishing, alongside the invaluable opportunity to pursue an education.
In 2023, our Child Sponsorship program reached a milestone with 590 girls enrolled—a monumental achievement! These girls, who had previously endured mistreatment, abuse, and neglect, now find themselves surrounded by love, attention, and care, essential ingredients for every girl’s well-being.
Furthermore, our Early Childhood Care (ECC) program welcomed 100 young girls in 2023. Designed for those too young for formal schooling, ECC serves as a stepping stone to our Education Assistance (EA) program, ensuring a seamless transition to formal education.
Lastly, we celebrated the accomplishment of assisting 99 girls in attending college. These 99 young women are not just pursuing higher education; they are breaking the shackles of generational poverty and tradition. They stand as trailblazers, catalyzing significant change within their communities.
While we’re thrilled by our progress, we recognize that there is still much ground to cover. Currently, there are 103 girls urgently in need of a Child Sponsor, each hailing from families who have previously devalued them. Throughout this month, we’ve been sharing the stories of these girls on our social media platforms.
Now, we’re providing YOU with the opportunity to hear directly from some of their parents, as well as from current Child Sponsors. In the coming weeks, also keep an eye on our social media channels for more!
Our aim is twofold: to offer you a deeper insight into the critical role of Child Sponsorship, while also expressing our heartfelt gratitude to our current sponsors. Moreover, we hope to inspire potential sponsors and encourage them to join hands with Invisible Girl Project in making a lasting difference in girls’ lives!
Suhas* and Laasya*
We asked Suhas*, a father of a sponsored girl named Laasya*, to share with us what his life was like before IGP, and what he and his family’s lives look like now (names changed for privacy). He said, “Our lives were very hard. Before we became involved with IGP, we used to suffer a lot. I wanted to send my daughter, Laasya*, to work as a laborer. There seemed like no other options for our family. We simply could not take care of her. IGP was alerted to our plight and helped my family. After my daughter joined the Child Sponsorship Program, I began to see the importance of her education. Now, I want her to be well educated so that she has a bright future! I want her to have a good job and be very successful in life. With IGP’s help, I now believe that whether you are a boy or a girl, you are equal!” We are very thankful we have the opportunity to Suhas* and his family, and that Laasya* can now go to school!
Next, we reached out to Megha Parekh and her mother, Mina, who have been dedicated supporters of IGP for several years now. We asked them both to share why they believe our Child Sponsorship Program is important. Megha stated, “I know that my life would have been very different if I had been born in India and to different parents. I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had in the US, and I want girls in India (and around the world!) to have the same chances I do to learn, work, live, and have fun. IGP’s work has a direct impact on girls’ lives, and I’m so grateful that an organization like this exists to raise awareness not just about some of the challenges in India, but also to celebrate the beauty, culture, and potential there.”
Megha, on the left, and her mother Mina.
Mina added, “Megha has been sponsoring four girls at IGP. When she told me about it, I was proud and felt that we raised her in the right way. She is always ready to help others. This is a big commitment and I hope that it will make a difference in those girls’ lives. Education is the only way to bring you out of poverty and live a better life for you and your family.” A special thank you goes out to Megha and Mina Parekh for their steadfast commitment to supporting girls in India through their long-term involvement with IGP. We deeply appreciate their willingness to share their personal motivations for helping their sponsored girls!
IGP is dedicated to reaching precious girls in India, and giving them opportunities for a bright future. We are the sole international humanitarian organization working with grassroots organizations in India to rescue girls from abuse and neglect because of gender bias, to prevent trafficking, and to save girls’ lives to end female gendercide.
