PRIYANKA CHOPRA JONAS is supporting girl’s education in India with her RAD Impact Award. “I’ve always been a massive advocate for education, specifically for girls. I think education is not just about learning, but education gives— especially girls— the opportunity to stand on their own feet. It helps them become financially independent. If you educate a girl, you’ll educate a family,” Priyanka told us while accepting her award via Zoom.
"I think giving shouldn’t be applauded or patted on the shoulder, it should just be something that we do. I was taught about privilege very, very young. Being raised in India, you know if you have a roof on your head and you have the ability to go to school and you can feed yourself and your family, that’s privilege…I think when you have privilege, privilege comes with responsibility and giving is a part of that responsibility,” added Chopra Jonas.
She went on to say: “I think what’s so amazing about the RAD Impact Award is that it’s a shared award. It is shared with someone that’s doing the work, someone you’re inspired by and I’m very inspired by the young girl we are going to be meeting today and I’m going to be sharing this award with.” That young girl is Devishi Jha, a youth climate justice activist who works with ZeroHour and UNICEF’s national council in support of girl’s education.
“I have been honored with the RAD Impact Award for inspiring purpose and I actually want to share that award with you [Devishi] because you inspire purpose in me. I think it is people like you, girls like you that take charge of your future and take charge of your life that are really inspiring to me and everything that you have achieved in such a short time. I mean, you’re so young, doing so much more than most people do in their lifetime, so this is me sharing this award with you because I think you deserve it.” Priyanka told a very shocked Devishi, who had been hoping to one day meet Priyanka, but did not realize this was that day and through a RAD Impact Award was how!
“The second part of the RAD Impact Award is there will be a substantial donation that will be made towards providing technology to girls in India— children in India who don’t have access to schooling right now— and that will be from you and me and RAD. I think it will make a huge, huge difference for kids who are missing the opportunity of school and we are going to be providing them that technology. I’m very proud to be doing that on behalf of RAD with you. And like properly, tangibly do it. Not just talk about it, but actually send them tablets and technology, which will help them not miss school during this time. Thank you, RAD, for doing that.”
Priyanka and Devishi’s RAD Impact Award will support 500 bright young women across rural India with tablets to access STEM learning programs and pursue careers in engineering and medicine. This will be accomplished through the work of Avanti Fellows, a non-profit organization in India that provides women across India with equitable access to high-quality colleges and professional growth that will create a better life and future for them.
"It’s also taken for granted in many parts of the world, what a girl can do with an education. It’s such an obscure thought. I think it has to do with obviously equality. It’s a part of that to be able to fight for equality, to be able to fight for equal opportunity. I think that all of those things collectively over time will lend for girls being able to have more access to education,” Priyanka explained during her and Devishi’s discussion about this topic.
“Thank you guys [Carineh & Arianne]. Thank you for being really rad. What you guys do is just amazing and to make the kind of tangible difference that you do. You don’t just talk the talk, you walk the walk and I think that’s most important and I’m really proud to actually be here.”
