Who are the girls who receive the merit scholarships?

Most of the girls chosen for annual stipends belong to households making less than Rs. 5,000 (about $60) a month. Most are raised by parents who are house-maids, seamstresses, orderlies, daily unskilled laborers, unemployed, or disabled. In quite a few cases, widowed or abandoned mothers are the sole bread-earners of large families but have passion to get their daughters educated. Some of the girls in the program are orphaned and raised by their grandmothers; many live in squalid quarters, some occupied by 10 to 15 family members. MGYW primarily selects girls who are less than 10 years of age and plans to provide grants for these girls throughout their educational endeavors. Female students 10 years and older who are in dire financial need or face challenges due to family circumstances are also recruited. Most girls attending MGYW partner schools live in small brick or mud shanties with one or two small makeshift rooms. These homes usually lack electricity, plumbing, and running water. The fuel to cook food is typically paper waste, wood, or kerosene oil, with kitchens and bathrooms lacking roof covers.