The Challenge: Child marriage often occurs when girls are born in low-income families. Girls are seen as a further economic burden upon already poor households and a liability from the very moment they are born. Since the girl is supposed to be leaving her family to go to her husband's house, many sections of poorer society consider investing in her education as an unnecessary and unwise investment. 

The Solution: We have a program in place, "Sponsor a Girl", which aims to prevent child marriage by keeping young girls in school until they are 18. A sponsor can sponsor a girl at Rs. 3500 per month, which is used towards their education, meals, uniform, skill development and medical care.

The project focused on sponsoring education of 100 girls at the FFLV School. Sponsorship included education, mid day meals and medical expenses of a student. Educate A Girl would help us to improve the overall standards of education and move towards identity protection and privacy policy of our school children. Therefore, we are proceeding into a more “general” way of sponsorship.

It simply means that we request our sponsors/donors to contribute and support the concept of girl education it has a wider impact and reach than focusing on one student. 

In other words, when a sponsor/donor is willing to contribute for girl education, we are more empowered to : 

1. Build and create contemporary measures of education like modern teaching tools, better classroom facilities that help many girls at the same time

2. Build awareness and appreciation for girl education and create a collective effort that involves society including parents. This is a more sustainable approach towards girl education.

3. Create a natural pull rather than an artificial push in the society for girl education as the families of these girls are naturally interested to get their daughters admitted to benefit from mainstream education facilities of our school instead of us trying to convince them only on grounds of financial help.

This way, you can educate a girl/s, a class or give general recurring donation which would be used in a common way to enhance the standard of schooling.

Special Features of the program:

• Education- The primary aims and objectives of FFLV are to educate poor girls in Vrindavan, empowering them to transform their lives and take their families out of the vicious cycle of poverty. An educated girl becomes integral to the social fabric; her learning and skills break the historical cycle of ignorance. A street kid growing up begging. The suffering is unimaginable, and ignorance and delusions make up their living habitat. She has neither confidence nor hope. Her life and the lives of those around her are ruined. A social curse that is perpetuated generation after generation. 
• School Meals- Daily 1500 girls are served a school meal. From toddler’s breakfast of milk and cookies to a nutritious mid-day meal for everyone. All students come from underprivileged families, and for most of them, this is the only meal of the day. FFLV has an organic farm where fresh vegetables are grown for the girl’s meals. We always hear the phrase “child with an empty tummy cannot concentrate and learn”. It cost only $0.40 to sponsor a student’s meal.  
• Food Distribution-The food distribution program marked the beginning of FFLV. Since 1991 FFLV daily has served an evening meal made of rice, lentils, vegetable, and butter that is available to anyone. FFLV also organizes meals for widows, sadhus, and the sightless.  Our Food ration program is aimed at supporting those families whose situation is so dire that they cannot even afford a meal a day. At present more than 50 families receive monthly food rations; wheat flour, rice, oil, salt, sugar, spices, etc. $25 feed a family for a month. The aims and objectives of the charity are not to turn away a hungry mouth and every effort is made to provide a nutritious meal to all who come through the school gate on a daily basis.