In the face of extreme poverty, girls and women are the x-factor. PACE Universal uses formal and informal girls’ and women’s education to combat poverty in the destitute village of Piyali, India. More than a school, PACE is a working model in which girls and women are empowered to be catalysts of change and beacons of social justice. Through a village center for literacy, life skills, vocational training, community events and medical care, we can, in fact we are, improving livelihoods throughout Piyali--beginning with the daughters, sisters, and mothers who would never have had the chance.

Problem

Jawaharlal Nehru said “You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.” India’s girls and women are suffocated by gross social inequity. By investing in them, we are not only addressing this inequity, we are improving the condition of their families, villages and perhaps their nation. In a community of over 35,000 people, girls’ and women’s education translates into reduced birthrates, child mortality and abuse, improved health, increased income, and generations more of educated children. Gender inequity feeds poverty, which then feeds gender inequity. PACE is not a transient solution but a way to deconstruct and disarm this cycle.

Solution

In addition to a complete academic curriculum, PACE provides its students with critical knowledge about their environment, meaningful engagement with their culture, an understanding of community through service, and the opportunity to explore their futures through personal and professional development. What’s more, two daily meals, vitamins, and medical care guarantee that students benefit completely from their education. It is this education that serves as the foundation upon which young girls grow into healthy, informed, productive and empowered women. PACE also realizes that without addressing the greater needs of the community. With an adult literacy and vocational training program, the women of the community find the skills needed to generate income for their families, become agents of change in their homes, and role models to the community.

Example

PACE's holistic approach to school in Piyali is more than just an idea in girls' education. It's a working model that can be replicated in any impoverished area--focusing on the assets and needs of specific communities. Working with on-the-ground organizations, PACE ensures the best quality education with utmost transparency. Upon receiving education, as a student, mother, or female member of the community, these agents of change take on more informed roles. Women, who would never have been offered a chance, now have the power and influence to alter the future of the community. And they will. Educated women don't raise illiterate children. They will invest in their families, teach the village new skills, generate income--break the cycle of poverty.