India has the single largest tribal population in the world which constitutes 8.6 per cent of the total population of the country (Census of India, 2011). Literacy and educational attainment are powerful indicators of social and economic development among the backward groups in India. Currently, the tribes lag behind in the general population but this disparity is even more marked among Tribe women and children.

One of the major constraints of tribal education at the planning level is that due to the language barrier the tribal children are unable to establish communication link with the teacher and thus leading to the termination of their education at some point or the other.

                        JKF wanted to give special significance particularly to reach out to the hardest-to-reach group of children in Tribe areas and establish an inclusive growth strategy for their economic and social up-liftment. Identifying Elim Mission to be concerned with this key challenge and JKF in a collaborative effort aligned with its education efforts as a vehicle for social mobility.

Gender disparities in education persist with far more girls than boys failing to complete primary school. The national literacy rate of girls over seven years is 54% against 75% for boys.  In the Northern Hindi-speaking states of India, girls literacy rates are particularly low, ranging between 33 – 50%.

Although lower primary schools are within one kilometer of 94 percent of India’s population, at an average every second girl child in India has not been enrolled.