Nestled amid the dense forests of Eastern Maharashtra, Gadchiroli is home to the Gond tribe, the district’s largest indigenous community. For generations, they have preserved a rich heritage and nurtured a deep connection with the forests they call home. 

The district’s remoteness has however, also limited people’s access to quality education, exposure and meaningful career opportunities. For many tribal children, envisaging a journey from the Government Ashram School to a college in Mumbai, let alone beyond, seems far-fetched. This is not because the barriers are geographical in nature, but because limited exposure often keeps talent from reaching its full potential. 

When aspirations take flight

Yogita Warkhade is the youngest of four sisters. Born into a Gond family that deeply values education, she began her learning journey in a Government Ashram School. But like several first-generation learners pursuing higher education in similar circumstances, Yogita found the transition from Marathi-medium education to English a little daunting. Further, financial constraints made the idea of pursuing a doctorate abroad seem almost impossible.

Today, Yogita is a Postdoctoral Scholar at The Ohio State University – a journey made possible through the Foreign Scholarship Scheme of the Tribal Development Department (TDD), Government of Maharashtra.

"My dream is to return to India and support students from rural communities who aspire to study abroad but lack the guidance or financial support to achieve their dreams," she says. 

While Yogita’s journey may seem personal, it echoes the aspirations of thousands across Maharashtra. The state is home to nearly two million tribal youth aged 15-24 years, yet access to higher education remains uneven. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2023–24, the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) for Scheduled Tribe students stands at 19.1 against the state average of 36.7. 

To bridge this gap, UNDP has been supporting TDD since 2023 in building partnerships with academia, industry and civil society to strengthen pathways that connect tribal youth with quality education, industry-relevant skills and meaningful employment. 

To further nurture these possibilities, UNDP and TDD launched the Alumni Connect Programme to connect more than 2,000 students from Government Ashram Schools and hostels with tribal alumni studying and working in leading institutions across the world. Listening to people who share a similar background and have already walked the path one aspires to follow offers rare insight. Their stories also demonstrate that when talent is matched with the right guidance and opportunities, even the boldest aspirations can take flight.

They are also documenting the journeys of Foreign Scholarship Scheme beneficiaries to inspire other tribal students. Yogita’s story is one such example, showing how investing in education unlocks new possibilities for tribal communities. 

Preparing young people for the world of work

While education is an important pathway to opportunity, industry-relevant skills are equally crucial for gainful employment.

For Akshay Bokad, a 29-year-old from Junnar taluka in Pune district, opportunity arrived through a WhatsApp message shared by local community networks. He was working as a contractual labourer in an industrial cluster near Thane, where irregular work offered little job security while he supported his ageing parents. 

It was the Forklift Operator Training Programme that armed him with industry-relevant skills, preparing him for opportunities across India's rapidly expanding manufacturing and warehousing sectors. 

Today, Akshay enjoys the stability of formal employment with a vendor of Godrej Material Handling in Vapi, earning an annual salary of ₹2.6 lakh. More importantly, he is able to support his parents while planning for the future with confidence.

To date, the Eklavya Kushal Skill Development Programme has trained more than 10,000 tribal youth like Akshay, with women accounting for 42 percent of participants. Behind this growing impact is a strong partnership between TDD, industry leaders such as Godrej Enterprises Group and the Wadhwani Foundation, and UNDP that is aligning training with evolving industry needs and equipping young people with the practical skills and exposure they need to succeed.