Ekal runs over 80,000 schools that help educate 2.1 million underprivileged children in tribal and rural areas of India. Ekal Canada is a registered Canadian charity / non-profit organization engaged in the education of tribal, indigenous children in rural India and Nepal. It is the largest grassroots movement of its kind in the world.

The Ekal movement aims to eradicate illiteracy from tribal areas of India and Nepal through rural development based on the criteria of equality, diversity and inclusion across all sections of society. Ekal Vidyalaya (single teacher school) is a people's grassroots movement with a vision to facilitate the process of empowering communities based on the concept of social, economic and gender equality.

Ekal's mission is the holistic development of villages through basic education, digital literacy, skill development, health awareness, modern sustainable agricultural practices and rural entrepreneurship. A contribution of CAD $500 helps run one Ekal school for an entire year, educates 30 children and has a positive impact on 30 rural families.



Ekal Foundation in numbers (present day):-

84,033 schools in rural and tribal areas
2,228,160 total students
1,113,565 boys are currently enrolled
1,114,595 girls are currently enrolled



At the time of independence, India’s literacy rate was a staggering 11%. Since then, it has made tremendous strides in educating its people. Present day, the literacy rate stands at 68% for the rural population in India - well below the world average literacy rate of 84%. The tribal / rural inhabitants live in remote areas, far from major cities. Those areas are highly deprived of basic amenities, modern facilities and even basic infrastructure. In this scenario, the Ekal movement emerged as the most pragmatic solution to this national need.


Ekal Canada website: www.ekal.ca

Ekal is active in over 10 countries globally including United States of America, Thailand, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Australia. Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of Canada was registered as an Ontario Corporation in 2006 and attained Canadian charitable status in 2007. Charity Registration Number (Canada): 853421162RR0001.

So whether it is a Giving Tuesday event or an employee / workplace giving campaign, or whether you are using Canada Helps, United Way, Benevity, Go Fund Me, Charitable Impact as a site to donate - keep Ekal top of mind for its work at the grassroots level with indigenous and rural communities in Bharat. We welcome donors as well as volunteers to join us in this noble cause. We have regional chapters across Canada in Toronto, Winnipeg, Kingston, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, London, Windsor, Sarnia, Ottawa etc.


Ekal Vidyalaya (single teacher schools):

Ekal Vidyalaya is a one-teacher school primarily in the remote tribal villages where often there are not even the basic necessities of life such as roads, hospitals, schools, clean water etc. A school consists of 25 to 40 children and there are no formal school buildings. Classes are held under a tree, in a verandah, or wherever else is available. A blackboard, teacher and students form the classroom.

Recently, the Arogya project was launched in parallel to reach the remotest village in India and provide better health care services based on the concept of Home Remedies. It helps:-

* To bridge the gap between remote areas and modern health facilities.
* Creating awareness by health care education – emphasis is on sanitation, nutrition, personal hygiene and mother and child healthcare.
* Providing preventive and curative health services (healthcare activity).
* To create awareness about the national health program.

Special Ekal Projects in Rural Communities:-

1. E-Shiksha (Teaching with Tablets)
2. Tailoring Training Center
3. Ekal On Wheels (Mobile Van for Digital Literacy)
4. Integrated Village Development
5. Telemedicine
6. Gramothan (Village Development) Resource Center
7. Digital Literacy Training Center