Our Founder
In 2003, our founder Usman Mehandi’s sisters convinced the family to move from their village to a nearby town in search of better education and livelihood opportunities. The decision was driven by the lack of access to education beyond Class 8 in their village. Both Usman and his sister were full of hope, ready to begin a new chapter.
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His sister was an exceptionally bright student, a district-level math champion, while Usman himself was still finding his footing in studies. But their hopes were soon dashed when they discovered that even the town had no government school beyond Class 8. Due to financial hardship, the family made a heartbreaking choice, they stopped his sister and enrolled Usman in a private school. Despite her talent and passion, she was denied the opportunity. The silent and unsettling question—“Why me, and not her?”—has stayed with Usman ever since.
As he began working at the grassroots level in 2013, training youth and government school teachers in rural Uttar Pradesh, the answer slowly began to reveal itself. He saw firsthand how poverty, patriarchy, and systemic neglect quietly erased the dreams of many girls, especially after a certain age and class.
IIn 2017, while pursuing his M.Phil at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Usman began a deeper exploration into the realities of girls’ education in Western Uttar Pradesh and the plains area of Uttarakhand. During one poignant interaction, a young girl said to him:
“हम स्कूल से बाहर इसलिए हैं क्योंकि हम लड़की हैं,
**और यही हमारा गुनाह है।”
**(We are out of school because we are girls—and that is our only crime.)
That one sentence struck him deeply. It gave voice to the silent question that had haunted him since childhood.
As he progressed into his Ph.D., Usman engaged with hundreds of adolescent girls who had dropped out of school. He realized that most out-of-school girls want to learn—but they lack the tailored support and flexible pathways to do so. The existing ‘one-size-fits-all’ system was simply not built for their realities.
To change this, Usman developed the “Addressing Needs and Promoting Solutions” model—designed to reintegrate dropout girls into education by addressing the academic, emotional, and social barriers that keep them away.
In 2024, he founded Panth Foundation with Rani, a grassroots social worker and former school dropout herself, who has two decades of experience in empowering grassroots women. Together, they envisioned an organization rooted in empathy, research, and action.
Today, Panth Foundation is not just a nonprofit. It’s a pathway for girls who were told to stop—to start again. It’s a space where dreams are not paused, but nurtured. Where education is not a privilege, but a right. Panth means path—and this path leads girls to dignity, knowledge, and a future they truly deserve
Saniya’s Path Back to School
Saniya is a bright and determined girl from Purkazi, Muzaffarnagar (UP). She recently passed her Class 10th Board Exam with First Division from the UP Board — a remarkable achievement in the face of adversity.
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She comes from a financially struggling family, with both parents battling serious health issues, Saniya’s dream of education seemed almost impossible. Many days, even two meals were hard to come by. In such a situation, education became a luxury the family couldn’t afford.
But Saniya didn’t give up.
To stay connected with learning, she began teaching younger children in her neighborhood — most of whom came from similar disadvantaged backgrounds. While she found joy in teaching, every time she saw other girls in school uniforms, her heart ached. She longed to be one of them again.
In 2022, Saniya and her mother approached Rani, co-founder of Panth Foundation, for help. Deeply moved by Saniya’s determination, Rani found a donor who supported her 9th-grade studies. Saniya did well, but again faced dropping out after Class 9. With tears in her eyes, she came back to Rani and said,
“I didn’t want to trouble you again, but I have no other way to continue my education.”
Rani gently replied – Don’t worry, Saniya. This year, we’ve officially launched Panth Foundation—to support girls like you.
Despite the academic session having already begun, Panth ensured Saniya’s enrollment through a private program under the UP Board. This effort not only revived her dreams but also led to the creation of Panth’s Remedial Education Centre for girls who cannot attend regular schools.
Saniya began attending daily classes at the center from September 2024—and studied with dedication.
Today, Saniya has passed her Class 10th with First Division and she is first from the family to reach at this level of education. She made her family proud and giving hope to many others.
Her journey is a shining example that when a girl is supported, a future is transformed.
Saniya’s success is not just a personal milestone—it’s a celebration for every girl who dreams of learning again.
Parul’s Story: A Girl, A Dream, A Second Chance
“If Rani hadn’t held that meeting in our village, I might have never opened a book again.”
— Parul, Bhojheri Village
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Parul is a bright girl from Bhojheri village. She lost her father early and had to drop out after Class 8 due to financial hardships. Her mother works as a daily-wage agrarian laborer and she takes care of responsibilities at home and because of that Parul quietly tucked her dreams away.
When the Panth Foundation conducted a meeting in her village on the importance of girls’ education, Parul sat silently at the back—listening. After the session, she stepped forward and said,
“I want to study again, just give me one chance.”
After listening Yes. She ran and the very next few minutes, she returned with all her documents, determined and full of life. Looks like she was just waiting for this moment. Though local schools said Panth team admissions were closed, Parul persisted. With the support of Rani in the next one week, she convinced the principal to accept her application. Tears of joy filled her eyes as she held her admission form and said to Rani who was standing next to her—“If you and Panth Foundation hadn’t come to my life, I would’ve never gone back to school.”
Today, Parul is back in school pursuing 9th class and inspiring other girls to continue their education. She is not just chasing her own dreams, but leading the way for many others in her village. In the 2025-26 session, she brought 5 other girls back into education with Panth’s support.
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