Empower girls like Priti in slums in Pune, India

This month, I thought I'd talk about the small plays and dramas that our girls write and perform. 

When we first start working with girls in a new slum area, they are incredibly shy and unconfident. Having been ignored and not spoken to in both the home and at school, as well as not having been allowed much out of the home, they are not used to speaking to others, making friends or expressing themselves. 

One of the things the girls love about meeting in their groups is being able to see their friends and play. One of the ways that this 'play' can also help them learn about their position as girls, is through the creation of small dramas on the topics they have learnt about. Girls get together, create, write and enact their own small plays with their friends on topics such as child rights, the position of the girl in the home, early marriage and domestic violence. 

This kind of drama allows the girls to express themselves and also builds their confidence. When they are confident enough, some of our girls may even go and perform such dramas on the street for the wider public. Not only is this empowering for them - it is a lively way of making other girls and the local community think about these issues.

I wanted to upload a video of such a play, but it doesn't seem like thar's possible here, so I've included two photos of street performances from earlier in the year.

Thank you so much for all the support you give. It helps to transform the lives of our girls, and lets them have some much needed fun on the way.