Save and Educate Girls!

When we watched the number of girl child ratio is reached at alarming levels and there is an emergence need to campaign for protecting their lives, rights and dignity then we took initiative to make this as our key agenda. We consider female infanticide as a bigger evil than female feticide, since it is actually a cold-blooded killing of an infant.

Addressing an urgent need for help

Guru Nanak Foundation of Canada strives to add value to female lives through the short-term rescue of unborn, newborn and the Indian girl-child as well as long-term initiatives that include shelter,education, health and wellness, trade and micro-development to help women becomes truly valued by their culture. Our foundation has been helping girl children from unfortunate and vulnerable communities to move on in life.
In many parts of India, the birth of a girl child is not welcomed. Immediately after her arrival, she faces discrimination, humiliation, and oppression at every stage of life. When it comes to healthcare, education and growth opportunities, she is neglected because of her gender. Some manage to survive and foster new paths to follow. Most, however, surrender hopelessly to the sad fate assigned to them. The issue of a women’s rights and protection in India is a very serious concern.
Female feticide, infanticide and neglect of girls have been widely practiced in India with alarming implications on the rate of missing girls. By 2015, India’s ratio of girls to boys had declined so steeply that there were fewer than 800 Indian girls born for every 1,000 boys – one of the lowest rates worldwide, it is contrary to 2000 year’s data when 1260 girls were born as compare to 1000 boys. This disturbing trend alerted and inspired a movement of civil society organizations worldwide which are working to promote the rights of women and future of girls.
More than millions of baby girls are abandoned each year, an extension of sex selection practices that, according to a 2011 study, include half a million abortions in India every year which are reported figures. Most abandoned babies die, but only 5% are rescued by the involvement of some active social organizations. While the statistics on the number of babies killed or abandoned at birth are murky -- the vast majority go unreported -- the radically skewed sex ratio of children under six years of age is an inescapable indication.
When we watched the number of girl child ratio is reached at alarming levels and there is an emergence need to campaign for protecting their lives, rights and dignity then we took initiative to make this as our key agenda. We consider female infanticide as a bigger evil than female feticide, since it is actually a cold-blooded killing of an infant.
Guru Nanak Foundation is desirous to be a part of a world where girls are celebrated and treated equally, with love and dignity as ordained by the Sikh principles. Our aim is to educate people to change their views and promote equality amongst the genders. Girls must be given the same opportunities and care as boys because they too have the right to survive, develop, to be educated, be protected, and take control of their own lives and the future. Our Girl Education project is designed to create equal opportunities for both boys and girls thus creating a Better balance of power between genders.
Our collaborating partners in India are two of well-known organizations called Shaheed Bhai Dharam Singh Khalsa Charitable Trust in Amritsar, Punjab and Shaheed Baba Deep Singh ji Charitable Society in Ganga Nagar, Rajasthan states which are tirelessly working on education, security and empowerment of girls. As part of our main objective, these charities are strongly advocating and campaigning against the female feticide, infanticide and neglect of girls in the Indian society. Guru Nanak foundation program is based on the belief “TO PROVIDE EVERY CHILD A TOOL TO WRITE HIS OWN DESTINY”
Shaheed Bhai Dharam Singh Khalsa Charitable Trust in Amritsar

The Shaheed Bhai Dharam Singh trust’s current capacity houses nearly 275 persons, including elderly women. The elder ones cook food and do other household chores while children are sent to schools or colleges. With her remarkable leadership and guidance, every year many children are achieving merit list in their education. Amongst trust’s inmates some are selected in merchant navy, medical doctor,CA, LL.b, MCA, Masters and bachelor degrees in different fields. Beside their public education, all of the girls are being educated with Sikh traditions, tenets, gurbani (scripture) and keertan (hymns) as well.

This is a great effort initiated by a single woman named Bibi Sandeep Kaur who had established this trust, not just such a shelter, but also any unbearable elderly, a newly born girl or a destitute woman, as long as she finds refuge.
Bibi Sandeep Kaur, with the help of some generous people and few social and religious organizations like Guru Nanak Foundation of Canada, she is providing shelter, food, Clothing, Education, healthcare, parenting, religious teachings, rooms, fans, AC, coolers, even generator for power supply during power cut and rides to their schools and colleges with trust transportation. The orphaned girls of her trust are provided with from nursery to the higher education and beyond then further education is available to reach their ambitions and dreams of their life, has made this organization, a great noble institution of the Sikh community.
Shaheed Baba Deep Singh ji Society in Ganga Nagar

Tejinderpal Singh Timma, one of the founder and known social activist of Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji Society of Ganganagar, Rajasthan, started a “Kanya Lohri” campaign in 2006 to tackle the issue of female foeticide. Baba Deep Singh Society has discovered that Rajasthan state topped the charts in India for female foeticide. This charitable society was the first in the state who decided to start a powerful movement and initiate an awakening under the slogan of “Save Girl! Educate Girl Child !”.

Lohri is a major festival in Northern India which originated as a celebration for the birth of a boy child. On Lohri, families would unite and celebrate the birth of the baby boy with food, singing, and dancing. On the contrary, if a girl child was born, it would be considered a time of sorrow and no merriment was shown.
The society has played a remarkable role to educate people to understand the discrimination against girls and put an end to it. A large festival is held annually where more than 25,000 people gather together and make donations for the welfare of girls. With the help of local organizations, Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Society has started plans to gift study packages worth 25 crore rupees to 5000 girls in the last Lohri event, which includes special reserved seats in institutions for underprivileged school aged girls. They are providing education funding for the girls, free coaching in sports, and providing vocational training to make them empowered and excel further. Due to the tireless efforts of this charity, the people in the northern part of Rajasthan have become more aware to love and educate girls.
Guru Nanak Foundation has joined hand in hand, with Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Society and will contribute their share of funds for the education sector by providing books, scholarships, uniforms, as well as clean drinking water and proper sanitation in schools as a part of their project.
Our mission is to improve the lives of as many as underprivileged and poor children, especially young abandoned girls in India. We will carry out this mission by raising funds to help orphanage, provide shelter, access to medical care, improved nutrition, and education for these girl children.
Guru Nanak Foundation and its above mentioned charitable partners in Punjab and Rajasthan bordering states are playing a leading role for the dignity of the Girl Child through their great projects in the last decade. These organizations have excellent experience and had accomplished a great success with their commendable works to save the lives of thousands of underprivileged girls by providing them shelter, education, security, empowerment and other supports. Our project helps change people’s attitude towards girls’ education. In the villages where there are girls being sponsored they become role models for their communities. Our foundation is focused on our objective with the guidelines and philosophy of Guru Nanak sahib under the banner-
“Save, Respect and Educate Girls” to pave the path of brighter future of our world.
Dignity and Equality of Women in Sikhism

Inspired with the valuable message of Guru Nanak Sahib, “So kyo manda aahikye, jit jamhe rajaan”. (Why call the women bad, who she gave birth to the kings).
According to Sikhism, men and women are two sides of the same human coin. There is a system of interrelationship and interdependence whereby man is born of women, and women are born of man's seed. By these doctrines a man cannot feel secure and complete in his life without a woman, and man's success is proportional to the love and support of the woman who shares her life with him (and vice versa). The founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, reportedly said in 1499 that "[it] is a woman who keeps the race going" and that we should not "consider woman cursed and condemned, [when] from woman are born leaders and kings."

The Sikh Faith from its inception has upheld the equality for and dignity of women. Siri Guru Nanak Sahib, the founding Guru of the Sikh Faith, emphasized the dignity of women in a way that was ahead of his time. Siri Guru Nanak Sahib stated:
“From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to a woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad from whom kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the Creator is without a woman. That mouth which praises the Creator continually is blessed and beautiful. O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the Creator." Translated into English from Gurmukhi, Siri Guru Nanak Sahib in Raag Aasaa, Siri Guru Granth Sahib pp 473
Sikh history has recorded the role of women, portraying them as equals to men in service, devotion, sacrifice, and bravery. Examples of women's moral dignity, service, and self-sacrifice can be found throughout the Sikh tradition. Sikh history records the names of several of these women, such as Mata Gujri, Mai Bhago, Mata Sundari, Rani Sahib Kaur, Rani Sada Kaur and Maharani Jind Kaur
Our team is committed to spread Gurus message to the humanity to save, educate and protect girl’s rights. Man and woman are two sides of the same coin - the human race. Man takes birth from a woman and woman is born of a man. This system is interrelating and inter-dependent.
Empowering women and girls through education

We know that until children, especially girls, are educated, societies won’t change. Education is the antidote for ignorance, poverty, and war. Empowering women is extremely important in this plan. The education of girls is essential to the development of families, communities and countries; it helps the economy to grow.
Guru Nanak Foundation recognizes that across the world, millions of girls face particular challenges in accessing education and learning any trade and skill. We have developed an evidence-based approach to improving girls’ education and empowering them according to their choices in India. We believe, educated women will understand the importance of educating their own children and are more likely to play active roles in the community to make a stronger nation. The project helps change people’s attitude against the discrimination of girls and will promote their rights and empowerment. In the villages where girls are being sponsored, they become role models for their communities and will prove to build a stronger nation.
We have been blessed with the tools, scripture, and history that assert the value of women. It is our duty as a Panth to live up to the vision the Gurus had for the women and to uphold the values of equality.

Sponsor a Girl Child

Please sponsor at least one girl child for the education. Your 100% money will go to education of sponsored child and we will connect you to sponsored child so that you can see their progress and share their achievements.
All of our services are centralized to the welfare of the children. We serve the child with education and everything they need (Stationary, Uniform, Bus fare and books) to brighten their future.

Vision: To unlock the full potential of girls and women through education. When girls and women thrive, their families, communities, and nations prosper. Educate a girl. Change the world.
Guru Nanak Foundation is desirous to be a part of a world where girls are celebrated and treated equally, with love and dignity. Our aim is to educate people to change their views and promote equality amongst the genders.
Girls must be given the same opportunities and care as boys...