Kishori Utkarsh Pahel is an adolescent girls health awareness and leadership building initiative of Bharuch District Administration, supported by DCM Shriram Foundation and implemented by BharatCares (by SMEC Trust). This collaborative project is also supported by ICDS and District Women and Child Development Department, Bharuch, District Primary, Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Department, Bharuch and District Health Department, Bharuch.

The initiative is a catalytic approach structured as an aspiration-building program among adolescent girls, both school-going and non-school-going. It focuses on overall empowerment of adolescent girls residing in villages who are deprived of further quality education and exposure. The first phase completed intensive training of over 4000 Kishoris from 122 villages of Jhagadia block of Bharuch district and well-groomed Village Jagrut Kishoris are engaged into village level developmental programs. 

This collaborative program recently achieved another remarkable milestone as the implementing partner BharatCares has completed outreach of Kishori Utkarsh Pahel (KUP) reaching out to 6,704 kishori (adolescent girls) aged 10 – 19. Out of total Kishoris, 5359 are school-going and 1345 are non-school-going from the 59 villages of Ankleshwar block. Total 69 government primary school teachers are trained as Master Trainers, across 74 schools who will impart training at school level. The training covers six different modules namely, adolescent health, menstrual hygiene management, nutrition, knowledge and convergence of government schemes and programs, legal protection and rights of adolescent girls, and leadership development. It also provides in-house training, exposure visits, and capacity-building programs. With a yearning to provide the best for the kishori, the team incorporated two more topics into the modules – financial literacy and importance of millets in daily diet.

For those who are unable to attend the sessions during school timing, a special session is planned considering their convenience. Moreover, another key achievement is, all non-school-going girls will be re-enrolled under GSOS (Gujarat State Open School).

On completion of in-depth training, Kishoris will undergo micro and macro assessments and the best-performing kishori from each village will be recognized as the Gram Jagrut Kishori who will further participate into exposure visits and intensive trainings so that they can come out as a leader and contribute in village level developmental initiatives.

About the DCM Shriram Foundation: The DCm Shriram Foundation is promoted by DCM Shriram Ltd. with a view to undertake CSR related activities. DCM Shriram Ltd. is a well-known conglomerate having Pan – India presence.

The foundation runs DCM Shriram Ltd.’s CSR initiatives very seriously and passionately and contributes majorly in making a positive impact in the society. The DCM Shriram Foundation implements programs related to Sanitation, Preventive Healthcare, Education Vocational & Livelihood programs, Environment Sustainability & Rural development across the presence in India.