Safeena Husain's Mission to Enroll 10 Million Girls in Rural India.

When Safeena Husain walked through the dusty villages of Rajasthan years ago, she found classrooms half empty and girls missing from school. Many were married off young, some worked in fields, and others had simply never been allowed to study. That moment changed the direction of her life. Today, her organization, Educate Girls, is one of India’s most powerful social enterprises, on a mission to bring 10 million girls back to classrooms across rural India.

Educate Girls started in 2007 with a simple idea if every girl goes to school, entire communities rise. Safeena had seen the struggle of girls firsthand during her years of working in Africa and South Asia. She wanted to create a model that could be replicated across states, one that worked hand-in-hand with local governments and communities. The organization began its work in Pali district of Rajasthan, a region where female literacy rates were painfully low.

Her team used data-driven mapping to identify out-of-school girls and engaged village volunteers to convince parents. These volunteers, known as Team Balika, became the backbone of the movement. They went door to door, often facing resistance, but their persistence paid off. Over time, thousands of girls were enrolled, schools improved, and dropout rates fell. The ripple effect was massive, inspiring similar efforts in other parts of India.

Safeena’s leadership stands out because she treats social change with the same precision that successful entrepreneurs bring to their startups. Educate Girls functions with measurable goals, strong partnerships, and a deep focus on growth. From its beginnings in one district, it now works across 20 states and has impacted millions of children. Her approach has drawn attention from global leaders and investors in social impact.

The journey was not easy. Convincing families that a girl’s education mattered more than household chores or early marriage was a cultural battle. Funding was another challenge in the early years. But Safeena’s persistence and her ability to build trust in rural communities slowly changed mindsets. The stories of girls who became teachers, doctors, and entrepreneurs became living proof of her mission’s success.

Educate Girls today represents the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship in India. It shows how leadership built on empathy and strategy can bring large-scale change. Safeena Husain has turned a personal conviction into a nationwide movement that keeps growing every year.

Her dream to enroll 10 million girls is more than just a number. It’s a step toward rewriting India’s growth story, one classroom at a time, where every girl holds the power to change her own future and the future of her community.