Deepa Biswas Willingham is the founder of PACE Universal (Promise of Assurance to Children Everywhere), dedicated to educating and empowering girls in poverty-stricken regions of the world, with a particular focus on India. In 2003, Deepa established the PACE Learning Center in Piyali Junction — an area severely affected by child trafficking, child labor, child marriage, and extreme poverty.
PACE School in India
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The PACE Learning Center began as a two-room rented house and grew to become a fully equipped, environmentally sustainable school serving over 230 girls from nursery through 12th grade.
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The school provides academic education, meals, uniforms, hygiene kits, medical care, and life-skills training.
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It also offers vocational training and literacy programs for the students’ mothers, addressing the intergenerational effects of poverty and gender discrimination.
Deepa Willingham and Rotary
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Rotary International and several local Rotary clubs, especially the Rotary Club of Calcutta Metropolitan, have been crucial partners in the success and sustainability of the PACE Learning Center.
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Impact
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Deepa Biswas Willingham’s work with PACE Universal and Rotary has not only provided education for girls in Piyali Junction but also served as a catalyst for broader community change, leveraging Rotary’s global resources and grassroots involvement to offer hope and opportunities where they are most needed.
