Sakhiyon Ki Baadi – A Journey of Hope and Learning

In the heart of the Thar Desert, where sand dunes stretch for miles and resources are scarce, a quiet revolution in girls’ education has begun. In July 2025, Sambhali Trust, in proud partnership with IIFL Foundation, launched the Sakhiyon Ki Baadi Project, a transformative initiative bringing value-based education to 1,500 rural and marginalized girls from the Sam and Sankara blocks of Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan.

A Network of Learning Spaces

For generations, many girls in these remote desert communities have grown up without access to quality education. Long distances, financial barriers, and deep-rooted social norms often forced them to stay away from schools. Sakhiyon Ki Baadi meaning ‘A Courtyard of Friends’ was born out of the belief that every girl, no matter where she is born, deserves to learn, grow, and dream.

The project has established 50 Sakhiyon Ki Baadi (SKB) Centers in villages across Sam and Sankara, creating safe, inclusive, and joyful learning spaces close to home. These centers are not just classrooms they are vibrant hubs of hope where girls between 4 and 16 years of age come together to read, write, sing, learn life skills, and imagine a better future.

Each center provides a value-based curriculum that blends academic learning with practical knowledge covering literacy, numeracy, health and hygiene, leadership, gender equality, and environmental awareness. By making learning meaningful and relevant, the project helps children stay engaged and builds their confidence to pursue formal education.

A Defined Journey: July 2025 – March 2026

The project runs from July 2025 to March 31, 2026, with a clear vision to give these 1,500 girls a strong educational foundation and prepare them for mainstream schooling and future opportunities. In just a few months, these centers have already begun to change the rhythm of daily life in the desert communities, replacing silence with laughter, curiosity, and determination.

Empowering a Generation

The Sakhiyon Ki Baadi Project is not only about education it’s about breaking cycles of inequality, building confidence, and nurturing leadership in young girls who will shape tomorrow’s world.

Every book opened, every question asked, and every smile shared inside an SKB Center is a step toward a more inclusive and empowered future. Through this initiative, Sambhali Trust and IIFL Foundation are working hand-in-hand with communities to prove that when a girl learns, an entire community rises.