In a landmark achievement, Indian non-profit Educate Girls has become the first NGO from the country to win the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award 2025. The recognition shines a global spotlight on its founder Safeena Husain, whose journey from London School of Economics to the remotest corners of Rajasthan has transformed the educational landscape for millions of girls.
From Delhi to the World
Born in Delhi in 1971, Safeena Husain’s own schooling was briefly interrupted, but she returned with determination and eventually graduated from the London School of Economics. Her early career in San Francisco as head of Child Family Health International exposed her to global development challenges. Yet, a visit to rural India, where villagers pitied her parents for having “only a daughter,” left a lasting mark. That moment planted the seed for what would later become Educate Girls.
Founding Educate Girls
In 2007, Husain returned to India and launched Educate Girls after two years of groundwork. Starting with just 50 schools in Rajasthan’s Pali district, the initiative quickly expanded. The model was simple but powerful: work with government schools, involve communities, and mobilize local youth volunteers—Team Balika—to identify and enroll out-of-school girls.
Today, Educate Girls spans tens of thousands of villages across multiple states, enrolling over 2 million girls and supporting remedial learning for millions of children.
Innovations That Changed the Game
Safeena Husain’s vision has consistently combined grassroots action with global innovation:
• Team Balika volunteers: Local champions who ensure no girl is left behind.
• Development Impact Bond (2015): The world’s first education DIB, linking funding to measurable results—exceeding targets with 160% learning outcomes.
• Pragati Program: A “second chance” for young women (15–29) to complete their schooling through open learning. Today, it serves over 31,000 learners.
Recognitions and Global Spotlight
The Ramon Magsaysay Award is the latest in a long list of honors for Safeena Husain:
• 2023 – WISE Prize for Education (Qatar), the first Indian woman to win it.
• 2024 – Honorary Doctorate from the London School of Economics.
• Earlier – Skoll Award (2015), Women Transforming India (2017), ET Prime Women Leadership Award (2019).
With the Magsaysay Award, Educate Girls joins the ranks of Asia’s most inspiring change-makers.
A Vision for the Future
Speaking after the announcement, Husain called the award a “historic moment for India’s girl education movement.” She aims to empower 10 million learners in the next decade, underscoring her belief that “educating girls is the single most powerful investment for breaking cycles of poverty.”
From the lanes of Rajasthan to the global stage, Safeena Husain has shown how one woman’s determination can change the destiny of millions. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is not just a personal honor but a recognition of the power of education, equality, and grassroots action in shaping a better India.
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