Empower girls like Priti in slums in Pune, India

Moana is 19 years old. She lives with her two sisters and one brother in the Vishrantwadi slum district of Pune. Moana dropped out of school in 12 Standard.

In the time after she left school she did little but sit at home and watch popular Indian soap operas on TV. She first came across the project when the team called to her door to take a survey of women and girls in her area prior to starting project activities.

Moana was at first very hesitant to travel alone through the slum to get to the project’s sewing classes. Like many girls her age she faced potential verbal and physical abuse from local boys each time she left the house alone. She insisted on her father dropping her to the project’s classes.

Moana in staying at home and not communicating with her peers had lost much of her confidence and was very shy in project activities. She was unable to look people in the eye for example and would attend all the project activities except the personality development classes which she found too difficult.   

But she soon made friends with the other girls who encouraged her to open up more in class. Now Moana describes the project team “as family”. Recently she made the journey from home to the project center entirely by herself and has become confident in challenging verbal abuse from local boys.   

Moana has completed her sewing training and in the future wants to work in fashion design. She also wants to earn to be able to give back to the project. None of this could have happened without the support of the project and its generous supporters.