Allstate Hosts Pratham Talk

On June 4, representatives from Pratham were invited by Allstate Insurance Company to give an informal talk at its headquarters in Northbrook, IL. Attended by more than 40 employees, the event was an opportunity for members of the Allstate community to learn more about Pratham, specifically our girls’ education program, which is supported by Allstate through its social impact investments.

Suren Gupta, Executive VP, Allstate Technology and Strategic Ventures, and a member of the Pratham USA board was on hand to welcome the audience. In his opening remarks, he recounted how both he and Allstate became involved with Pratham and how the partnership fits into the organization’s goals to support research-driven programs that build stronger communities and brighter, safer futures.

The group had a chance to hear from two Pratham leaders from India: Dr. Manisha Date, head of life skills education, and Sukhada Ghosalkar, head of partnerships with girls’ residential schools. The pair discussed the Second Chance program, which provides female dropouts from economically challenged communities with an avenue to earn their secondary school certification. Equivalent to a GED, the certification is a requirement for any formal employment.

The program has reached more than 30,000 girls since it’s inception and is currently implemented through 33 centers across nine Indian states. Allstate has directly helped 800 girls through its support of three centers in Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

During the lengthy discussion and Q and A that followed, Date and Ghosalkar described the different ways Pratham supports females, including our cooperation with government-run residential schools for girls, called the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalas, in rural areas where gender disparities are prevalent.

Also present was Chicago Chapter President Joher Akolawala, who thanked Allstate for the ongoing support and encouraged attendees to join the local chapter.

“Opportunites like these allow us to connect with employees of the companies that already support Pratham’s work,” said Chapter Manager Archita Singh. “They give employees a chance to feel connected with the cause and see the actual impact of their overall support.”