Empower girls like Priti in slums in Pune, India

Poonam (name changed) is 14 and lives in one of the slums where Green Tara has been working for a few years. She is fourteeen and is the youngest of four sisters. Her mother and father both labour for daily wages, as a domestic helper and a contstruction worker respectively. Poonam had this to say in March about her involvement in our project over the last year:

"Before joining classes at Green Tara, I couldn't really read or write, and especially couldn't express myself with any confidence. I had really low self-esteem and my siblings and parents would be very unkind to me, which I would just accept. 

Then one day, I met Nirmala [a Green Tara social worker], who told me about the tuition classes being run by Green Tara. After starting to attend these classes I learnt to read and write properly. Because of the confidence that I gained from this, I also started to speak out and voice my opinion more about rights in the home and community. 

With Green Tara we organised a rally advocating cleanliness and prevention of child marriage. I understand now that girls should not be married before they are adults. I'm passionate about advocating for this now, and I have decided that in the future I want a career where I can educate more people about the harmful effects of child marriage, and raise awareness of women's issues.

I have also learn that as girls we have the right to learn and grow - this is not something that should only be limited to boys. My parents think that because I'm a girl I cannot become educated, and become a doctor. Now, because of Green Tara Foundation, I want to change their thinking. I want to prove to them that I am entitled to education and freedom to become and be whatever I want."

Thank you for your continued support, which means that girls like Poonam have a chance of breaking out of a cycle of poverty and early marriage in the slums. This wouldn't be possible without your generous donations.