Lila Poonawalla Foundation
Organization background

In India, the gross enrollment rate of girls is 26.4% in the tertiary education sector because disadvantaged families have limited financial resources. Their parents mainly work as laborers, farmers and some of them come from single parent households.

Established in 1995, Lila Poonawalla Foundation (LPF) has championed the cause of female education and empowerment by providing scholarships and skill building interventions. LPF provides undergraduate & graduate scholarships, training and internships to underprivileged youth. Scholarship support includes financial assistance to cover tuition fees, educational expenses, hostel/mess charges and textbooks. Training programs include essential/life skills training, technical/functional, campus readiness, employability skills development, leadership and industry exposure visits. LPF also provides internship and placement support to students who do not get placed through campus recruitment.

Over the last 27-years, with sustained support from corporate partners, social funding organizations, individual donors and well-wishers, LPF has helped transform the lives of over 12,000 girls as well as their families.

Project background

India faces a shortage of nurses, and over 70% of primary care in India is provided by people with no formal training. Only 58% of doctors in India's cities have a medical degree & in rural areas, the figure is only 19%. Since 2020, due to COVID-19, the requirement for nurses has only increased. There is a need to motivate the target group (disadvantaged female youth and young adults between the ages of 17-21, with a low family income below Rs 3.5 lakhs per annum, and who have gained a minimum 60% in their 10th and 12th grades) to pursue careers in nursing.

GKF contributions to LPF