BT India

BT partners the British Asian Trust to deliver local programmes using technology to empower girls in education, agency, health and economic empowerment. It therefore works towards SDG 4 Quality Education; SDG 5 Gender Equality; and SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth.

120 million adolescent girls in India struggle to gain access to education, healthcare, and other critical needs. The country faces a digital skills gap and girls are again left behind. The Internet and Mobile Association of India for example states women account for just 29% of India’s online population.

BT supports the Education Development Impact Bond, a social finance model which improves learning outcomes for primary school children. DIB funders only pay for successful results.

The BT-BAT partnership currently engages 7 grass roots NGOs in 3 locations; Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Bengaluru to deliver multiple,1, 2 and 3-year projects that develop digital skills for girls and use technology to improve education and agency. The partnership is for three years but is likely to be extended upon successful results. The intended reach is 100,000 adolescent girls.

In Bengaluru:

• Creation of digital labs and STEM skills training in government schools
• Offline/online digital skills toolkit delivered via mobile phone
• Mentorship support and digital literacy skill development via mobile phone

Delhi NCR:

• Gender sensitisation harnessing virtual reality in rural Haryana
• Career guidance, vocational and employability training in peri-urban Haryana using a BT developed app
• Student designed educational website resource for educators and students and creation of entrepreneurial and livelihood opportunities

Kolkata:

• App development to monitor and improve WASH facilities and improve girls’ access to education
• Delivering STEM compatibilities, digital skills whilst deconstructing harmful gender norms

Projects are supported by BT staff who use their skills and time to contribute to projects, with BT contributing 3 days’ paid volunteering to each employee every year.

The combined projects expect to reach 100,000 direct beneficiaries and 500,000 indirectly. Outcomes vary according to each project and its duration. KPIs include, but not common to all:

• Increase in % of girls completing high school
• Increase in % of girls trained for vocations matching their aptitudes and interests
• Increase in girls and boys taking up full time employment in organised sector industries
• Increase in % of parents of adolescent girls keen on training & employment for their daughters
• Increase in boy’s awareness of gender issues including violence
• Improvement In girls STEM skills and digital literacy

Development Impact Bond

In Year 1, projects funded by the DIB helped to increase the overall number of children achieving basic education outcomes by 30%; and 40% of participating schools met or exceeded their targets in improving proficiency levels, outperforming non-DIB comparison schools.

In July 2019 BT was awarded ‘Social Impact Project of the Year’ at the UK-India Awards during UK India Week in London.

For more information, download BT’s Social Impact Partnership Report below: