Indian NGO Wins Ramon Magsaysay Award

On Saturday, August 30, 2025, an Indian NGO wins Magsaysay Award for its inspiring journey empowering out-of-school girls through education and transformation.

Indian NGO wins Magsaysay Award for historic achievement

Safeena Husain left San Francisco for Rajasthan, starting Educate Girls in 2007 with courage, compassion, and commitment to children’s futures.

The NGO has enrolled 1.1 million girls and impacted 15.5 million lives, reshaping communities where girls once faced endless barriers.

Indian NGO wins Magsaysay Award for its grassroots work

It began inside dusty classrooms of 50 schools, but today Educate Girls works across 30,000 villages, lighting hopes for millions.

Through the Pragati programme, women aged 15–29 returned to classrooms proudly, with over 31,500 learners writing brighter chapters today.

Indian NGO wins Magsaysay Award for education innovation

In 2015, Educate Girls introduced the world’s first Development Impact Bond, ensuring every rupee spent produced measurable outcomes in classrooms.

Retention exceeded 90 percent, proving determined efforts and innovative models can transform India’s neglected regions into hopeful centres for girl’s education.

Safeena Husain’s journey and recognition

Safeena Husain, 54, expressed gratitude, and therefore, she dedicated the award to ordinary villagers, parents, and girls challenging restrictive traditions.

Additionally, her husband, filmmaker Hansal Mehta, often addressed social concerns in cinema, while she simultaneously built change through education.

Quote from Safeena Husain

“This award places a global spotlight on India’s people-powered movement for girls’ education. It began with one girl in the remotest village and grew to reshape entire communities, challenging traditions and shifting mindsets.” – Safeena Husain

Timeline: Key milestones of Educate Girls

2005: Safeena Husain returned from San Francisco to India, determined to tackle female illiteracy at the grassroots level.

2007: Educate Girls founded in Rajasthan, starting with 50 pilot schools in rural communities deeply affected by female illiteracy challenges.

2015: Introduced world’s first Development Impact Bond, linking financial support with measurable educational outcomes across rural classrooms nationwide.

2018: Expanded operations to 30,000 villages, reaching two million girls with enrollment success and retention exceeding 90 percent.

2025: Awarded prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, Asia’s highest honour, for transforming girls’ education in India’s underserved regions.

Fact Box: Educate Girls at a glance

• Girls enrolled: Over 1.1 million
• Villages covered: 30,000+
• Population impacted: 15.5 million+
• Pragati learners: 31,500+
• Retention rate: Above 90%