Founded in 2020 by Smita Choudhary and Shivati Jastoria, the Enlightened India Foundation (EIF) is working to expand educational opportunities and leadership skills among children in rural Kangra, Himachal Pradesh. Through learning hubs, digital safety awareness, life-skills training and community engagement, the grassroots organisation has reached more than 800 households and impacted 3,500 children across over 46 villages, according to a September 2026 report.
Girls account for 70% of those reached. The foundation also encourages young women to identify local problems, document public service gaps and engage with government departments to seek solutions.
Addressing Barriers to Girls’ Education
The idea behind EIF took shape during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the founders observed how unequal access to digital devices could affect children’s education. In households with only one smartphone, boys were often prioritised for online classes, while girls were expected to manage household chores, agricultural work and childcare. These responsibilities limited their opportunities to continue learning.
The experience highlighted a wider challenge: access to education is not determined by school enrolment alone. Family expectations, limited digital access and the burden of domestic responsibilities can also influence whether girls are able to learn and participate in activities beyond the home.
Founded in 2020, EIF adopted a grassroots approach to address these barriers. The organisation works with rural communities to help children strengthen their academic foundations while developing the confidence and practical skills needed to participate more actively in society.
The foundation is self-funded and led by rural women, making community participation central to its work. Rather than limiting its programmes to classroom learning, EIF combines education with leadership development, digital awareness and civic engagement.
Learning Beyond Textbooks
EIF operates learning hubs in Sidhpur, Rakkar and Mohali. These centres offer sessions in Mathematics, English and Science, alongside coding, sports and life-skills activities. The programmes aim to help children improve their academic understanding while developing confidence, communication and problem-solving abilities.
A key feature of the initiative is its focus on preparing girls to take leadership roles within their communities. Young women receive training to run learning centres independently and teach children in their villages. Those taking on these responsibilities receive stipends, providing practical experience and an opportunity to contribute to local educational efforts.
This approach allows girls to move beyond being participants in educational programmes to becoming facilitators and role models for other children. It also creates opportunities for young women to develop professional skills and take greater responsibility within their communities.
EIF’s work extends to digital safety as well. Through sessions conducted at anganwadis, the foundation engages mothers and caregivers on issues related to online safety. In a period when digital access increasingly shapes education and communication, such awareness can help families better understand the risks children may encounter online.
The organisation also works to build awareness of legal rights and encourage girls to speak up about issues affecting them. By connecting education with practical knowledge, EIF seeks to help young people make informed decisions and participate more confidently in public life.
Turning Village Problems Into Action
EIF’s community engagement model also focuses on everyday infrastructure challenges. During village-level interactions, women and young people identify problems such as damaged roads, dry taps and unreliable internet connectivity.
The foundation documents these concerns, digitises complaints and categorises the issues before reporting them to the relevant government departments. It also follows up with officials to check whether the reported problems have been addressed.
The process introduces community members to a structured way of raising concerns. Instead of allowing local problems to remain informal complaints, the initiative encourages residents to record them, communicate with authorities and track the response.
EIF has also conducted two surveys led by women community leaders across 21 villages. The findings were compiled into reports and presented at district and state levels. The organisation is preparing a further report on infrastructure gaps after surveying more than 40 remote villages.
These activities bring research and civic participation into the foundation’s education-focused work. They also provide women with opportunities to identify shared concerns, collect information and engage with institutions responsible for public services.
From Student to Project Coordinator
Priyanka’s journey illustrates how the foundation’s programmes can create opportunities for young women to assume leadership responsibilities. She joined EIF in 2021 at the age of 17. The daughter of a construction labourer from the Gaddi community, she scored 93% in her Class 10 examinations.
She subsequently studied Mathematics, Physics and Computer Science. Priyanka later became EIF’s project coordinator for Kangra, coordinating the organisation’s work across approximately 50 villages.
Her progression from student to coordinator reflects the foundation’s emphasis on enabling girls to take on responsibilities within their communities. Priyanka has also expressed an ambition to become a fighter pilot in the Indian Air Force.
Her experience is one example of how academic support, exposure to leadership opportunities and practical responsibilities can shape a young woman’s educational and professional journey.
The Road Ahead
According to the September 2026 report, EIF has engaged more than 800 households and impacted 3,500 children across over 46 villages, with girls accounting for 70% of those reached. Its work combines academic support with digital safety, life skills, leadership development and community research.
The foundation’s planned infrastructure-gap report could further support its efforts to bring local concerns to the attention of district and state authorities. Its broader approach recognises that educational opportunities are connected to the conditions in which children live, study and participate in their communities.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Girls’ empowerment requires more than access to classrooms. It also involves creating conditions in which girls can continue learning, develop confidence, understand their rights and participate in decisions affecting their lives.
The Enlightened India Foundation’s work in rural Kangra brings these elements together by combining learning support with leadership training and civic engagement. Its community-led model offers young women opportunities to become educators, document local concerns and engage with public institutions.
The long-term impact will depend on the continuity of its programmes, the opportunities available to the girls it reaches and the responsiveness of authorities to community concerns. Nevertheless, its approach highlights the importance of involving rural girls and women not only in development programmes, but also in identifying problems and helping shape solutions.
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