Mumbai, Dec. 6 -- The Ramon Magsaysay Award-winning organisation Educate Girls will soon begin work in the state, expanding beyond the north Indian districts where it has operated for the past 18 years. The announcement was made by its founder Safeena Husain on Friday during the organisation's 18th Foundation Day programme, where she outlined its plans for the state. Educate Girls has decided to partner with the Maharashtra government to support children who have dropped out of school and want to continue their education. Husain said, "The team has been working on the ground and gathering feedback before launching the programme in rural areas. Unlike states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan, Maharashtra does not have an affordable open board option for Class 12. The only option available at present is the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), which is costly for many students in the rural and tribal regions." Explaining how the organisation's approach will differ from the existing evening learning centres in the state, Husain pointed out that those centres largely cater to urban areas. In contrast, Educate Girls plans to focus primarily on villages, where access to such opportunities remains limited. At the Friday event, Ranjeet Singh Deol, principal secretary of the school education and sports department, praised the organisation's work. "This is not an eye-wash, this is targeted work to address a deep-rooted mindset. Bringing over 2 million girls back to education is no small feat," he said. The event, held at the Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan in Mumbai also celebrated women from three states who scored 75% or above in their Class 10 exams. These learners are part of Pragati, Educate Girls' education initiative for girls and young women aged 15 to 29 who are overage, academically behind or at risk of never returning to school. Many of the girls honoured at the event have overcome social barriers, family responsibilities and long breaks from schooling. Among them was Rinku Jeengar from Pali, Rajasthan, a mother of four who returned to education after 16 years and scored 80%. She said, "A volunteer introduced me to the Pragati programme and motivated me to join the Rajasthan State Open School. My daughter encouraged me to study again." Urmila from Bikaner, who also cleared her Class 10 exams this year, was also present at the event. Addressing the audience, Husain said the Ramon Magsaysay Award had further strengthened the organisation's resolve as it aims to reach 10 million learners by 2035. CEO Gayatri Nair Lobo added that partnerships with state open schools will help create real pathways for girls to return to education....