Make a Difference (MAD)

Make a Difference works to improve the quality of education, to increase school retention rates, and to provide creative learning opportunities for children living in street shelters, orphanages, and government run homes. MAD's goal is to bridge the inequality in society through education.

Make a Difference Program

MAD provides English classes, computer training, and recreational actives such as camps, field trips, and seminars to children between the ages of 8 and 15.

English Education Program: Run by MAD volunteer fellows, children participate in the program for five years. The program teaches students the how to listen, speak, read and write English.

Part of the reason for MAD's success is their ability to recruit high-quality volunteers. A volunteer with MAD is extremely competitive, only 10% of applicants are accepted. With the help of 800 volunteers they serve 2,500 children in 11 districts across India.

Why the need?

India's education system is plagued by high numbers of out-of-school children and school dropouts, lack of quality education, and inequalities in access to education. UNICEF estimates that around 42 million children aged 6 to 10 are not attending school, and about one-third of all children leave before finishing elementary school.

Make a Difference focuses on India’s urban underprivileged, particularly children in street shelters, orphanages, and poor homes. These children are street smart, intelligent and mature. Yet hardly any of them get the opportunity to continue their education after 10th grade. This is primarily due to two reasons.

First is the lack of financial support. Most children are taken care of only till the age of 15, after which they are on their own. The education they receive until then is very generic and provides them with no specific skills, which forces them into doing menial jobs for a living.

Second is the lack of quality education. In India, to move on to High School or apply for most jobs, you must be proficient in English.  But many underprivileged children never have the opportunity to learn English well enough to move on to High School or apply for better paying jobs.

Make a Difference's aim is to ensure the underprivileged children can chose their careers based on their potential and interests and not their financial constraints.

How Team Efforts Translate to Impact

100% of NGC funds raised will help MAD run its English Educational Program and train volunteer fellows. 

How Make A Difference Creates Sustainable Global Change

Make a Difference helps to bridge inequality in the Indian society by providing quality education to underprivileged children. MAD gives children living in poverty the opportunity to attend High School and have jobs that will allow them to break the cycle of poverty.