PPES is based in Anupshahar, a small area of villages in the Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh,
India. Four bumpy hours east of New Delhi, this area is one of the country's poorest and most crime-ridden provinces. Moreover, it is noted as one of the least educated and illiterate sections of the country.
Although it is only 130 kilometers from Delhi, the area lags far behind the capitol in terms of economic and social development. There are no sources for employment. It is a patriarchal society in which gender disparities are very prevalent. Forty thousands families in the area live below the poverty line. With such poverty and patriarchy, many girls are forced to stay home and help out, deprived of the education they desperately need to move beyond the poverty they know.
