Gender Equality India Project #42683

Empower Girls from Mumbai's Red Light Area

by Kranti

Empower Girls from Mumbai's Red Light Area

Project Report | Jul 7, 2021
College in the Time of Covid

By Trina Talukdar | Cofounder

Krantikari Farah's Graduation Ceremony

It is that time of the year at Kranti! This is the time of the year when Krantikaris are applying to colleges, working on visas and travel plans to go study, and those that are already in college are finishing their terms, looking for summer internships. But, of course, all of this has looked very different these past 2 years.

But the good news first! Krantikari Farah graduated as a Dean's List Honouree from the University of the West, Los Angeles. Krantikari Sandhya and Ashwini completed their 2nd year of graduation from Ashoka University, New Delhi. Krantikari Danish in now in her Senior Year at North Park University, Chicago, and got herself a great research internship for the summer.

And, so many other Krantikaris have bravely battled the challenges of online classes, not having access to their peers and teachers like they did before for support, the mental health challenges of being stuck in the over-crowded Kranti home trying to find space to do classes and assignments - and have all persevered onwards to complete another year of education, with excellent grades!

But, there have also been some frustrating obstacles. Krantikari Jayashree completed her first year at KREA University, Hyderabad, but she has never seen her college campus, or met any of her peers or teachers. Krantikari Shraddha got admission to the International's People's College, Denmark, for Autumn 2020 term, but she still hasn't been able to go because of the Pandemic. We have deferred her admission, for the third time, to Spring 2022. We are hoping third time is the charm!

And, thus we trudge on, through one of the most difficult times for people all over the world, and do our best to be leaders in our communities!

Krantikari Sandhya on her last day on campus

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Krantikari Shweta in the media

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Mar 9, 2021
Celebrating 10 Years of the Revolution!

By Trina Talukdar | Co-Founder

Krantikaris all around the world celebrating 10yrs

A very happy Women's Day to all of you amazing supporters who believe in equal opportunities for all genders, and support this cause by donating to us, donating to other Feminist organisations, in the work you do everyday, in how you carry yourself and who you show up as in the world everyday.

This Women's Day marks the 10th year anniversary of Kranti. In the past 10 years, Kranti's girls have become the first girls from India's red-light area to study abroad, received UN awards for their social justice work, given 25+ TEDx talks around the world, and performed their own play in front of nearly one million audience members in India, the US, and UK - they were also featured on BBC during their performances at Edinburgh Fringe last year. In 2016, Kranti's alternative school was named a Top 10 for the $1 million Global Teacher Prize, and Kranti girls currently study abroad in London, Rome, Chicago, Washington, and Los Angeles.

This is not to say the 10 years haven't had challenges. In fact, if we start going into that, this report is going to stretch into an entire book - haha! We have struggled with everything from lice infestations, to self-harm, from severe funding shortfalls to coping academically after falling out of the education system for many years. We have had girls leave Kranti because they didn't want to be social change leaders. Our team members have had severe burnout.

But, we've gotten by with a little help from you. Actually - with a lot of help from you! Transforming marginalised girls into agents of social change, changing society's perceptions about what girls are capable of - these are not jobs for one, or even for a few. A revolution in gender dynamics is a job we can only do if we all do it together. Thank you for working with us - for donating to us, for volunteering your time with us, mentoring and supporting our Krantikari girls, sharing our story with your family and friends, and for always being there for us through our successes and failures.

10 years is a long time, and we often pause and ask ourselves - is the change taking too long, are we doing enough? But what is 10 years, or 20, to change a tens of thousands of years old social mindset? So, here is cheers to another decade of us working together to transform marginalised young girls into revolutionaries!

1st 2 girls to join Kranti with our 10yr bday cake

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Nov 9, 2020
Returning to our revolutionary lives!

By Trina Talukdar | Co-Founder

Truck of supplies to distribute for Covid Relief

As Mumbai, India returns to some semblance of normal life, with the lockdown for Covid-19 lifted, we realised that the struggle is not over for sex workers and their families. We have continued our Covid Relief work in the Red Light Area in Mumbai, Kamathipura, distributing monthly groceries and healthcare essentials to sex workers, for their families.

As for all the Krantikaris, their future plans of further studies and work all got cancelled when the Covid-19 pandemic hit. One of the Krantikaris was going to go to college in the US, one to art school in Copehagen, one of them was to go teach the children of migrant labourers in a school or first generation learners. But all these opportunities failed to materialise, and we were worried about the future prospects of the Krantikaris.

however, with the lockdown now lifted, we have been able to find alternate suitable opportunities for all the Krantikaris to continue to pursue their revolutionary dreams!

Krantikari Jayashree started her graduation in liberal arts at KREA University on a 90% scholarship.
Krantikari Shraddha will go to study art at Copenhagen, like she was supposed to, just a semester later than planned.
Krantikari Sumaiya joined an intensive design course, along with completing her high school certification.
Krantikari Kavita started her Bachelor in Arts in Yoga Therapy graduation program.

Even through these difficult times, the Krantikaris have continued to show the world they are truly revolutionaries!

Krantikari Lata, who was stuck in Glasgow through the lockdown, volunteering for animal shelters there, learnt to sew from her host mother, Adisson. Adisson and her partner donated a sewing machine to Kranti and Lata taught everyone at Kranti sew too! Together, the Kranti family stitched over 1000 masks and distributed them in the Red Light Area and slums in Mumbai.
Krantikari Jayashree's autobiographical story was published in the book, "More Than One Voice", by Global Girl Project. Get your copy here for inspiring stories of young girls leading their communities around the world.
and, as usual our girls are up to many more exciting things that would make too long a list to include in this report!

Distributing monthly groceries to sex workers

Krantikari Lata stitching masks to donate to CSWs

Krantikari Jayashree's autobiography published!

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