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Archana Jaiswal runs 78 coaching centres across rural UP through Shiksha Saathi, providing affordable education to over 7,650 children and training more than 740 women as teachers.
Archana Jaiswal completed her graduation in Economics at BHU. (Image: News18 Hindi)
At 17, Archana Jaiswal’s father began pulling a rickshaw to support his family while continuing his studies. Years later, after earning a postgraduate degree in Economics from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Archana is now working to ensure that children in rural Uttar Pradesh get access to the education and guidance they need.
Through her initiative, Shiksha Saathi, she runs 78 coaching centres across six districts, reaching more than 7,650 children and training over 740 rural girls and women to become teachers. Coaching fees start at just Rs 100.
Her father, Jagdish Ram, lost his own father at a young age and had to take on family responsibilities early in life. With limited financial resources, he began pulling a rickshaw at 17 while continuing his studies alongside work. He eventually graduated and secured a job with the Indian Railways after another rickshaw puller encouraged him to apply.
Moving to Varanasi improved the family’s circumstances, but making ends meet remained difficult. According to The Better India, Jagdish Ram took up additional work, including painting signboards, making portraits and writing names and numbers on T-shirts. He wanted his children to have better opportunities and avoid the hardships he had experienced.
However, his death left the family facing financial difficulties once again. Archana’s elder sister began earning and helped cover household expenses and her siblings’ tuition fees, enabling them to continue their education.
Despite the family’s financial challenges, Archana, a native of Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, completed her graduation and postgraduate studies in Economics at BHU. She once aspired to become a professor but felt that limited guidance and resources had affected her plans.
Her perspective on education changed further when she met children in rural Uttar Pradesh who attended school but struggled with basic concepts. Some students in Class 7 could not answer questions about lessons they had already studied.
She also noticed that many rural girls and women had limited employment opportunities, while families struggled to afford private coaching or send their children to cities for extra academic support.
Thereafter, Archana decided to launch her coaching initiative – Your Coaching – in 2022. It was formally registered as Shiksha Saathi in 2023. The organisation provides after-school coaching to students from Classes 1 to 12 through village-based learning centres.
With 78 centres across six districts, the initiative aims to bring affordable academic support closer to children’s homes. Its fees start at Rs 100, making coaching more accessible to families with limited resources.
Shiksha Saathi also trains rural girls and women to become teachers, creating opportunities for them to earn while supporting children’s education. According to the figures in the original report, the initiative has reached more than 7,650 children and trained over 740 women.
Through this model, Archana is working to address two interconnected challenges: improving children’s access to education and expanding livelihood opportunities for women in rural communities.
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Ask News18Shiksha Saathi is an educational initiative founded by Archana Jaiswal that provides after-school coaching to students from Classes 1 to 12 through village-based learning centres. It currently operates 78 coaching centres across six districts in Uttar Pradesh.
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