E-Bhavishya

The Covid-19 pandemic led to learning losses for millions of children worldwide due to sudden school closures and shifts to online learning. While students everywhere have struggled with remote learning, the damage has been greatest for those with no access to devices on which to learn virtually. The last two years have brought into sharp relief the drastic digital divide between the well off and those of modest means. As per research by the UNICEF, millions of children affected by this digital divide may never return to school and we may see a sharp increase in child labor, gender-based violence, early marriage and teenage pregnancies. There have been multitudes of reports of helpless and frustrated students committing suicide due to an inability to access online classes and learning materials. The e-bhavishya project is driven by a fierce desire to help bridge this digital divide in access to education by providing appropriate learning devices to students most in need. At present the project is being piloted in the National Capital Region (NCR) and will later be extended to other parts of the country. e-bhavishya has secured funding from the Youth Innovation Fund of the World Bank Group because of its potential for positive impact in enhancing education outcomes of poorer households.