Yuwa

Last month, the whole Yuwa team packed up and headed to Shantiniketan for the organisation's first ever staff retreat.

The town felt fitting — it's where Tagore founded his open-air university, where education was always meant to feel rooted in the world around it. We visited a local Santhali school, reflected on our culture as a team using the Gallup Survey, and spent time understanding each other's individual strengths.

But the retreat was also toto rides through the village lanes, watching jugnoo flicker in the dark, a noisy train journey that started the bonding before anyone had even arrived, and dinner table laughter that continued long after the meal had ended.

"Yuwa is a place where everyone finds courage and support," said Seema, one of our primary teachers. "People learn from each other, teach each other, and respect each other's work. For us, it's a second home."

A team that speaks about their workplace this way is not an accident. It is the result of years of intentional culture-building — and a reminder that the work we do for Yuwa's girls begins with the people who show up for them every day.

Ten years ago, we had an idea.

What if we opened a school for girls in rural Jharkhand?

What if we provided world-class education by recruiting dedicated teachers to guide girls who had already shown an incredible hunger to learn?

What would happen if we persevered despite limited funding, crumbling infrastructure, monsoon flooding, a pandemic, and bitter people who said that girls should not study, should not play football, should not travel, should not dream?

Last week, Yuwa School marked its 10-year anniversary with an Annual Day that brought students, parents, graduates, and staff together to celebrate a decade of quiet, stubborn progress.

Students filled the classrooms with exhibitions of their own academic work. Traditional Nagpuri dances lit up the campus. Special awards honoured the students and staff who have shown what dedication actually looks like. And along one wall, a Memory Lane of photographs traced a full decade — faces that have grown, teachers who have stayed, and a community that has shown up year after year.

Ten years ago, Yuwa School opened its doors in Hutup Village to girls who deserved an education that believed in their potential.

Looking at these photographs, these performances, these young women — it’s clear something lasting has been built here.��Congratulations to every student, teacher, and family who has been part of this journey. Here’s to ten more!

Hands muddy, notebooks open! 

On a recent afternoon at Yuwa School, a group of middle school girls were crouched over a patch of soil like they owned it. Because in a way, they do.

This is “From Soil to Plate” — our hands-on agriculture project where girls are learning vermicomposting, hydroponic farming, soil science, and the economics of food systems. 

Not as abstract concepts. As things that already shape their families’ lives.

“Our families are farmers,” one student explained. “This is our identity. We are farmers.”

In rural Jharkhand, that’s not a romantic statement. Agriculture shapes income, nutrition, who migrates, who stays, and whose futures get decided for them. 

From Soil to Plate is about changing the last part.

One team of students named themselves the Smart Workers. Ask them why, and they’ll tell you plainly: “If we’re going to do agriculture, we’re going to do it in a smart way.”

The project was recently awarded a Circle Grant of one lakh rupees. But what we’re most proud of is a group of twelve-year-olds standing in a field, hands in the dirt, arguing about soil health like it belongs to them.

Because it does.

Last week, we hosted one of our favorite traditions of the year: the Yuwa Talent Show.

Imagine inviting nearly 600 girls to one big party — players, coaches, and staff from across our teams — all coming together to celebrate the community we’ve built..

The stage belonged to the girls. Teams prepared dances, songs, and performances, bringing energy, laughter, and a lot of courage to the spotlight.

Coaches also took time to recognize achievements across the season, from players with the best attendance in football and workshops, to new Level 2 Coaches, to teams that stood out in the showcase. Three younger players were also honored for quietly stepping up behind the scenes, helping coaches manage equipment and supporting their teams.

And as always, the day ended the best way possible: everyone dancing together to Sadri music!

Four Yuwa graduates didn’t just join a football team in college — they built one.

Members of Yuwa’s Class of 2025, these four young women are studying on full scholarship at Kumaraguru College of Liberal Arts and Science. This year, they started the college’s first-ever women’s football team.

In their very first tournament together, the team finished in second place.

With only eight players on the squad, the Yuwa graduates make up half the team — bringing years of grit, teamwork, and leadership from the football fields of Jharkhand to their new campus.

Congratulations to these incredible young women! We are so proud to see them continuing to lead, compete, and create new opportunities wherever they go.

Happy Holi from all of us at Yuwa!

Thank you, Bank of India (Ormanjhi Branch), for opening your doors to our Class 10 students today!

After school, the Yuwa girls stepped into a space many of them had never experienced from the inside. Branch Manager Mr. Jai Kisan and his team organized a special session introducing them to the basics of banking — different types of accounts, how ATMs function, and what actually happens during deposits and withdrawals.

The room quickly filled with questions. How do loans work? What happens if you lose your ATM card? How does money move between banks? The team took their time answering each one.�

For many of our students, financial systems can feel distant and intimidating. Today made them tangible.

Bank of India is also working to strengthen financial literacy in the community and has offered to visit Yuwa School for follow-up sessions and workshops. We’re grateful for their partnership.�

And yes, the samosas at the end were a highlight. 🤗

Thank you to Priyanka, our Yuwa volunteer, for supporting the visit and making it possible! Bank of India

This week, we painted our footballs. Want to know why?

Every Yuwa team has a team savings, which players contribute small amounts towards weekly. Together, teams save up to purchase footballs at a cost that is subsidized by Yuwa. When a team orders and receives a new ball, they celebrate.

From a very young age, players learn basic financial literacy. They also feel a great sense of ownership over their team equipment. Because they saved up for their footballs, players make sure everything (balls, bibs, and markers) is together and in good condition at the end of each practice.

When a ball is kicked off the field or commandeered by boys playing nearby, Yuwa players chase them down.

So why do we paint our footballs?

It makes it easier to identify which balls belong to which team. It’s a good way to manage team inventory. It increases players’ feeling of ownership over their team.

Also? It’s just fun.

Team Yuwa is excited to participate in Inspire Cup 2026: a tournament that brings together fourteen U 17 girls teams from across nine Indian states.

Today’s group stage match was a showcase of the Yuwa girls’ grit and teamwork, with a resounding 3-0 victory over Oscar Foundation. Congrats to Coach Asha on her positive leadership of the team!

The players for this competitive Yuwa team were selected from across our 27 teams, prioritizing players who have excellent attendance and demonstrate sincere effort in football AND school.

Thank you for hosting Inspire Cup, Anantapur Sports Academy!

Last week marked an important step forward in caring for our students.

Led by Pinki, our Head Teacher for the Primary grades, and made possible through the collective efforts of our teachers and staff, Yuwa has begun a new partnership with Shalini Hospital to strengthen access to healthcare for our girls. Through this collaboration, primary students have started visiting the hospital for eye check-ups and general physical examinations.

The response from the medical team at Shalini was deeply moving. After meeting the students, the physician shared his admiration for their confidence and spirit, calling Yuwa’s work “a very noble job.” Many girls received guidance for ongoing health needs, and the next step will be working closely with families to ensure proper follow-up care.

This initiative reflects what can happen when dedicated educators and staff work together — supporting our girls’ health today while building the foundation for stronger futures.

Over the past couple of weeks, our teams have been lighting up the field in a whole new way.

As part of Yuwa’s Life-Skills programme, girls have been presenting their quarterly Showcases — creative, interactive performances that bring workshop topics to life. Each week, every team dives into conversations about health, rights, and future planning through life-skills workshops. Then, in small groups, players choose one of those themes and build a showcase to share with their teammates.

What we’ve seen has been powerful: street theatre that makes everyone laugh, pause, think, and remember. 

These moments aren’t just a recap — they’re a chance for girls to lead, speak up, and shape the message in their own words.

A memorable finish to a quarter of learning, and another step in building confidence on and off the pitch.