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Girls in rural Rajasthan are being given the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with their brothers, at the path-breaking Fabindia School established by William Bissell to empower the youth of the state
Education is beyond the reach of most girls in the central regions of Rajasthan, with only five per cent of them being able to complete secondary school. Veena Choudhury, the 15-year-old daughter of an illiterate farmer from a poor rural district is undaunted by the statistics. "I intend to become an engineer," she states firmly, even though her mother and grandmother were married with children by the time they were her age. Fulfilling what would otherwise be a wild dream is a possibility for Veena thanks to the Fabindia School she attends with her brother Vinod. Started 10 years ago in the town of Bali, in Pali district, the school is a non-profit private school established by William Bissell, the half-Indian, half-American, Delhi-based entrepreneur who heads the Fabindia Group, a leader in marketing handloom home furnishings and clothing. His idea was to create a prototype school, empowering rural youth of diverse backgrounds from the poor districts to `shape their own lives and transform the state of Rajasthan'. From its inception, the Fabindia School has been committed to educational opportunities for girls, even subsidising their tuition. Girls are given positions of leadership and are encouraged to hold their own among their male schoolmates. A picture of dignity and self-confidence, Veena tops her class, excels in science and mathematics and has a lead role in this winter's school play. In addition to becoming fluent in English, she is also getting a strong grounding in other subjects. The Fabindia School stresses environmental education, exposing students to issues of the larger world through workshops conducted by expert visitors. It also teaches its students to take pride in their local heritage, instilling a sense of responsibility in them for the future of rural Rajasthan. Students like Veena are encouraged to consider working nearer home, and staying connected to her birthplace. With the 250-student `core school' in Bali now well established, the plan is to open more Fabindia schools elsewhere in Rajasthan. In June, the first satellite school will open in nearby Ghanerao. Hopefully, some day, hundreds of Veenas and Vinods will play a part in the transformation of rural Rajasthan. For more information, contact: Jayant Biswas,
-Principal, Fabindia School,
-Bali, Rajasthan 306701.
-Tel: 02938-22168.
-Email:
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