“I think we both together bring a story that really would help them see that what a person can do, what a girl can do,” Manyapu says. “Because I believe representation matters. And while we are at a generation where we do see women in various fields, we still have a lot of gender gap to close.”
Since August 2009, when the Indian parliament passed the landmark Right to Education Act that made education free and compulsory for all children under 14, the number of girls in school has increased, though the national averages obscure variations across the states, according to the country’s Annual Status of Education Report.
Around the world, while enrollment rates are almost equal between genders, the completion rates are still disparate – according to the World Bank, only 36% of girls complete lower secondary school compared to 44% of boys in what it calls low-income countries.
And to tackle this global issue, Project Shakthi has set its sights on broadening its goals.
Manyapu and Malavath will climb Mount Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America at 6,961 meters, in December as part of the next phase of Project Shakthi, inviting people interested in climbing to join them.
In the meantime, the project has already begun selecting girls who will receive its sponsorship through the $12,000 it has raised so far.
“Poorna and I actually visited our village back in India right after we completed our expedition of the virgin peak,” Manyapu says. “And we are starting in our village because that’s where our roots are.”
Eventually, the project will aim to sponsor girls across the globe, empowering them and exposing them to opportunities that would otherwise remain hidden, as Malavath and Manyapu continue their mission so that girls can have an education.