Why Did We Establish GIK?
We pursue education without education literacy; that is, we are schooled in the discipline of our choice without really educating ourselves about education itself. While the foregoing statement and its description might come across as in consequent wordplay, the implication of the validity of that statement is subtly staggering. Consider the following.
All our schooling prepares us to use our skills and talents only to make a mark for ourselves rather than investing our skill set in the development of community and society as a whole. Schooling is usually in a particular discipline and the product is usually a degree that is useful in establishing one’s livelihood i.e., it is job oriented. Education, on the other hand, focuses on life skill development, ethics, social consciousness, civic responsibility and an orientation for lifelong learning. So, essentially a lack of education literacy has led to prominence of schooling for personal gains rather than education for personal and societal development. The vast majority of us invariably make the former choice. The result is a widening educational disparity in the society as a whole.
We at GIK believe that this is an unacceptable state of affairs, and we would like to see it change. We also believe that now is arguably the most opportune time to affect this change. Currently, about 70% of India's population is below the age of 35. That includes over 220 million children from mostly economically disadvantaged background who are potentially at risk relative to the educational disparity referred to earlier. Our failure, as a society, to provide these children with the education that is necessary for them to be productive citizens, poses a real threat to our stability.
These children, from the economically disadvantaged backgrounds, are always at the risk of being exploited, of being recruited into nefarious activities including, but not limited to, child labor, slavery, sex trade, and such. There is an existent and urgent call for us to intervene and ensure that such risks are mitigated. There is an urgent call for us to provide these children with the education that they need so that they may establish themselves as responsible and contributing citizens.
At the helm of such an urgent calling are kids growing up in orphanages and in destitution; without proper mentoring, guidance, life and social skills they have limited resources and opportunities. This is where Adhya comes into the education landscape. Adhya focuses on providing free education to children in orphanages, destitution, socioeconomic isolation and disadvantaged situations. We at GIK provide financial support to Adhya in its mission through donations and fundraisers so that Adhya may focus exclusively on providing quality education to the children without being stifled by monetary issues.