In the slum neighbourhoods of Mulund in Mumbai, grassroots educator Aarti Naik has helped more than 3,000 girls stay in school through her community initiative Sakhi for Girls Education. Her mission was born from personal hardship after failing her Class 10 examination and earning just ₹9 a day making handmade jewellery to support herself, she resolved that other girls in her community should not abandon their education because of poverty, lack of guidance, or gender bias.
Starting with a handful of neighbourhood students in 2008, Naik built a network of informal learning spaces and mentorship programmes that now support thousands of girls from underprivileged communities in continuing their schooling. Education advocates say her work demonstrates how community-led interventions can address educational inequality and improve school retention among girls from marginalised backgrounds.
Dropout Turned Girls’ Education Changemaker
Growing up in a densely populated slum in Mulund, Naik faced many of the same barriers that continue to affect girls in low-income communities across India financial constraints, limited academic support at home, and overcrowded schools where individual attention is scarce.
Her parents, like many families in similar circumstances, were unable to guide her academically, and private tuition was beyond their means. As a result, she struggled with several subjects and eventually failed her Class 10 examination. Her family then asked her to stay home and discontinue her studies, a fate faced by many girls who fall behind in school.
Instead of accepting that setback as the end of her educational journey, Naik chose a different path. She began earning small amounts of money reportedly about ₹9 per day by making and selling friendship bands, chains, and other handmade items so she could continue studying and support herself.
During this time, she realised that her own struggles were not unique; many girls in her neighbourhood were falling behind academically because they lacked basic literacy and numeracy skills. “There is a lack of awareness about education, especially for girls,” Naik has said while reflecting on the challenges faced by young students in slum communities. Determined to address this gap, she started teaching a small group of girls in her neighbourhood after school hours.
What began as a modest effort soon evolved into a structured initiative. In 2008, Naik formally launched Sakhi for Girls Education, with the goal of creating safe, community-based learning spaces where girls could strengthen their academic foundations and gain the confidence to remain in school. Over time, her work expanded from a handful of students to thousands of girls across Mumbai’s underserved communities.
Empowering Girls Through Learning Spaces
The core philosophy behind Sakhi for Girls Education is simple yet powerful: girls from marginalised communities need a safe place where they can learn, ask questions, and receive encouragement outside the formal classroom. Through its programmes, the organisation provides after-school learning sessions focused on literacy, numeracy, and life skills. Girls gather in community learning centres where they read books, practise writing, engage in educational games, and participate in activities designed to boost confidence and leadership.
A key feature of the initiative is its peer-learning model, where older girls act as mentors or “reading leaders” for younger students. Some programmes even use low-cost audio learning methods to help girls practise reading and speaking skills an approach designed to make learning accessible even without professional teachers or formal classroom infrastructure.
These methods aim to help girls build fluency in reading and communication, two skills that significantly improve their ability to succeed in formal school settings. Over the years, Sakhi has expanded its impact beyond a single neighbourhood. Its initiatives include community libraries, girls’ leadership activities, and programmes encouraging girls to save money for their education.
Such efforts are particularly significant in communities where families often prioritise boys’ schooling due to financial pressures, leaving girls with limited opportunities to continue their education. By offering guidance and a supportive environment, the programme helps students remain enrolled in school and improve their academic performance.
Naik’s journey from a school dropout struggling to fund her own education to a recognised community changemaker has inspired many young girls in the areas she serves. Today, thousands of students have benefitted from her initiative, proving that grassroots leadership can play a crucial role in addressing educational inequality.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The story of Aarti Naik is a reminder that social transformation often begins with individuals who turn personal hardship into collective action. In communities where systemic challenges poverty, gender bias, and limited resources continue to disrupt girls’ education, grassroots changemakers like Naik bridge the gap between policy and reality.
At a time when conversations around education frequently focus on infrastructure and policy, Naik’s work shows that mentorship, empathy, and local leadership can be just as transformative. If one young woman from a slum community can help thousands of girls remain in school, imagine what could be achieved if more communities supported and invested in similar grassroots initiatives.
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