Every 4th girl is a child bride. Help change this

Dear Donor,

Wishing you a Very Happy Festive season!! Thanks for your support for our work. Sharing some of the key highlights of our work between July 24 and Oct 24.

Here is a story that highlights how awareness, sensitization and capacity building of girls and their families is enabling girls to stall their marriage and pursue their dreams and aspirations.

“I would have been married like my two elder sisters had life-transforming Breakthrough programme not started in my village. With Jyoti Didi’s (Breakthrough community developer) meetings and sessions and visits to my house, the views of my entire family transformed. I live in Lucknow city now and I am working in a food chain outlet at Lucknow Airport. The day my father came to drop me at the airport for my joining, he was thrilled and immensely proud. He immediately called Jyoti Didi to share this good news after dropping me”-says Kajal (name changed) who has been a Team Change Leader of Breakthrough.

Talk to Kajal’s father and he is quick to exclaim, “It all has happened because of Jyoti Didi. She has brought about the awareness and change in mindsets of most parents of the SC hamlet of Kudha Village where I live. The girls eagerly await her sessions. Her meetings and discussions are changing the mindset of parents too. Three girls of my SC hamlet are working in Lucknow city and 5 more have undertaken training. I married my two elder daughters early because we lacked awareness. But now my third daughter is working at the airport and fourth one is undergoing training of nursing. I have 7 daughters. I want my other three youngest daughters also to become self-reliant. There are people of other caste hamlets who pass negative comments on the freedom and encouragement we are giving to our daughters but I am determined now to support the girls. I tell them too to ignore such comments.”

Breakthrough starts the capacity building of adolescent girls and boys-an age when gender attitudes are taking shape and are still malleable. Breakthrough does this through its Taaron Ki Toli curriculum.

Taaron Ki Toli Sessions

Taaron Ki Toli curriculum is delivered to 11-14-year-old cohort whom we call Ujjwal Taras and also to 15-18-year-old cohort whom we call Roshan Taras.

During the reporting period, we held these sessions 24462 with adolescents (11 to 14 years’ cohort) in UP and 4979 adolescents (11 to 14 years’ cohort) in Jharkhand. We also held these sessions with 25371 adolescents (15 to 18 years’ cohort) in UP and 2042 adolescents (15 to 18 years’ cohort) in Jharkhand.

The sessions have focused on empowering them to recognise gender based discrimination and violence in their lives and speak up for their education, aspirations and rights.

Besides engaging the adolescents through Taaron Ki Toli curriculum, Breakthrough trains select youth of 19 to 25 years’ age group through specially designed training programmes. These youth who are trained are called Team Change Leaders.

Training of Team Change Leaders(TCLs) -A safe space for discussion, debate and building sensitivity

“I felt very shy when presenting a skit in which I had to showcase a Homosexual relationship between two girls, I never imagined that I would ever be doing such a skit but it was a very exceptional experience that has built my capacity to empathize with people who face taboo and marginalisations because of the social norms;”

-Anita a TCL after performing in a skit based on same sex relationship

Breakthrough organized a three-day residential TCLs training with 57 Team Change Leaders in Lucknow and Gorakhpur in UP and with 28 TCLs in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand on the various themes of sexuality –enabling the participants to deep dive into the various issues related to gender, sexuality, relationship, consent, power and privilege and made the participants conversant about the various spectrums of sexuality. The training through various activities made the participant unpack sexuality as a right which is often impacted by social positioning and empathize and understand people of different sexual orientations.

In the training, the participants were given a platform to discuss healthy and unhealthy relationships and the role gender and sexuality play out in the same through an engaging presentation. The training also discussed the taboo associated with sex.

The training touched on the gendered social norms associated with marriage and the social construct of seeing marriage as the only prototype of a successful relationship. The last part of the training focused on making the participants aware of the power and privileges.

For the participants, this training has ushered in a new avenue of contemplation as they talked about the topics that they do not usually get a safe space to discuss. The participants who were initially very shy and hesitant gradually during the course of training became vocal. After training they were considerably sensitized which was reflected in their action plans focusing on sensitization of the community on Gender, SRHRJ, making community GBV and GBD free etc. It was altogether a great learning event in which the facilitators very lucidly made the participant aware and sensitized on the various topics.

Enhanced Community Ownership Evident during Mobilisation Events

Our deep transformation work is leading to enhanced community ownership. Community ownership is evident in events like Kishori Melas and special day celebrations.

Aligned with Breakthrough’s commitment to empowering youth, the celebration of youth day in communities featured panel discussions, rallies, poster making, and more. Discussions centered on the significance of Youth Day and how young people can drive change, with a focus on their education and career aspirations. In 47 Gram Panchayats across Lucknow, Mahrajganj, and Gorakhpur, 947 community members (617 females and 330 males) participated, including 145 TCLs who led the celebrations.

International Youth Day was celebrated in the intervention communities of Breakthrough Hazaribagh too. A total of 43 people (7 TCLs, 15 youth, 4 Roshan Tara , 6 adults, 2 Anganwadi Workers 1 PRI, and 8 community members) took the lead in organising the celebrations and 40 males and 42 females gathered for these celebrations. The TCLs took the lead and celebrated the day as the day of awareness, showcasing the youth's power as the agents of change. The TCLs mobilised the community on the important issues which included the easy availability of intoxicating substances in the community. They shared that tobacco and substance abuse is ruining the village youth. The TCLs of Padma block raised awareness among the different stakeholders of communities on the addiction to substances through slogans, placards, and rallies. This TCls initiative had vital resonance in the community. Besides, they also discussed the issue of gender based violence and the need to intervene in such cases.

Moreover, during Kishori melas in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, the teachers and students took lead from designing the mela to thought provoking presentations. Students and teachers led activities such as poster creation and puppet shows, fostering dialogues with parents about education and aspirations. This time the Ujjwal Taras also showcased their learnings from Taaron Ki Toli sessions which also became a medium to hold dialogues on important issues like GBD and GBV. Notably, a puppet show by Ujjwal Taras at Puruhiya School in Mohanlalganj in Lucknow inspired applause and intergenerational dialogue on supporting adolescent education. A total of 7717 participants (4445 females and 3272 males) attended Kishori Melas in 68 schools in Lucknow and Gorakhpur, highlighting the strong community engagement and ownership.

All our work happens through the financial support we received from donors like you and are immensely grateful for the same. Request you to continue your support and, if possible, refer us to like-minded people in your circle.

With Hope and Gratitude,

Aman Chhabra.

Dear Donor,

Hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy!! Thanks for your support for our work. Sharing some of the key highlights of our work between Feb 24 and May 24.

Taaron Ki Toli Sessions

Taaron Ki Toli curriculum is delivered to 11-14-year-old cohort whom we call Ujjwal Taras and also to 15-18-year-old cohort whom we call Roshan Taras.

During the reporting period, we held these sessions 24329 with adolescents (11 to 14 years’ cohort) in UP and 4737 adolescents (11 to 14 years’ cohort) in Jharkhand. We also held these sessions with 20942 adolescents (15 to 18 years’ cohort) in UP and 1754 adolescents (15 to 18 years’ cohort) in Jharkhand.

The sessions have focused on empowering them to recognise and assert their rights, pursue their aspirations, and challenge gender-based discrimination and violence. The following reflections and sharings by adolescents indicate how they are benefitting from such sessions-

• “The session ‘Ye Na Hoga’ made me realize that we need to learn to say ‘No’ if we do not like something. If someone stalks us we should run and inform our parents and report using the helpline. We can take help from our elders and report in the nearest police station”, said Ujjwal Tara of Kasturba Gandhi Residential School for Girls in Katkamsandi.
• An Ujjwal Tara from Shiv Shanti Children Academy, Dohariya Bazar said, “In today’s session I realized how girls are discriminated against and their potential is undervalued. How they are stopped from progressing in life, how it affects their lives and dreams. If both are given equal opportunity they both can fulfil their dreams and make progress in life.
• A Roshan Tara from Khuthan village from Bhahat Block of Gorakhpur said, “Breakthrough sessions have helped us understand that negotiating collectively helps us to convince others easily. There was a fair in our neighbouring village. We all wanted to go. Had we asked individually, our parents wouldn’t have allowed us to go. But we persuaded our parents collectively, so they allowed us to visit the fair. We now have learnt to negotiate collectively to solve our problems

Kishori Melas

28 Kishori Melas were held in Lucknow reaching out to 3532 people. The purpose of the Kishori Melas was to provide a platform for adolescent girls to discuss their aspirations, fostering a supportive community environment where they can advocate for their dreams.

At the Kishori Mela iin Babulal Inter College, Principal Jaikaran highlighted the impact of Breakthrough's program, noting how it helped students gain confidence in public speaking and express their viewpoints effectively. He emphasized that such initiatives are enriching students' learning experiences and will continue to do so in the future.

Following a play by students, Vidya Devi, mother of Anu, a student at the school, reflected on how the performance illustrated the challenges girls face in pursuing their dreams, often disrupted by a lack of educational opportunities. She pledged to fully support her daughter's education and encouraged others to similarly support their children, ensuring they have continuous access to education.

During the power walk activity at Kasturba Gandhi Residential School's Kishori Mela, an Ujjwal Tara shared insights into the inequalities girls encounter throughout their lives. She acknowledged the subtle discrimination that starts at home from birth and expressed the need for a supportive environment where girls can pursue their dreams and education without hindrance. The Ujjwal stressed the importance of starting conversations within families to create equal opportunities for girls to thrive in life.

Team Change Leaders take lead in demanding pad machines from district administration in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

Menstrual hygiene management is an important aspect of the Adolescent Empowerment and is deeply intertwined with gender equity and the overall wellbeing of adolescent girls. It has profound effect on an adolescent girl’s self-esteem and bodily autonomy.

Therefore, this Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28^th of May 2024, youth and Team Change Leaders of Breakthrough (We groom select youth aged 19-25 years as change agents through special trainings and workshops) intervention blocks of Katkamsandi, Tatijhariya, Katkamdag, Sadar and Padma in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand took lead in celebrating World Menstrual Hygiene Day in their communities. Total 77 youth, 169 adolescents and 180 members of Adult Group participated in the celebrations. This is an example of strengthening of our deep transformation work and the budding leadership of TCLs.

They took out street procession, did wall writing, poster making, group discussions and made placards and took selfie on the self-made selfie stand etc. The youth even visited the district administration and shared various issues prevailing in the villages like absence of pad machine in schools and community, lack of proper awareness and myths associated with the menstruation. The initiative by youth was greatly appreciated by the CDPO (Child Development Project Officer) and the BDO (Block Development Officer). The initiative got wide media coverage too.

“I am very happy to see that you people are celebrating the Menstruation Hygiene Day, and I assure you that the installation of pad machines is under way at colleges and schools. We are soon going to have robust facility of pads in community as well.”

                                                                                -BDO, Katkamdaag, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand

Menstrual Hygiene Management Day celebrations in UP - Busting Myths and stigma related to Menstruation

Discussions were on among TCLs of Tarkulha village of Gorakhpur as how to celebrate MHM day. It was the boys who came up with the idea-‘Why don’t we hold a friendly cricket match in which boys and girls together play to give the message that girls can do all work during menstruation even play cricket. There is nothing impure in menstruation. It is a normal bodily process”.

With MHM written on their bats and donning red ribbon around their wrists, the adolescents, youth and TCLs played the friendly cricket match. About 70 people gathered in Tarkulha village to watch the match. The TCLs and youth even invited the Breakthrough District lead and his team for this. Everybody appreciated this initiative and the ASHA worker of the village said that this is a great way to counter the myths and stigma attached to menstruation.

Similarly, youth and TCLs of 81 villages of four intervention districts of UP namely Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Mahrajganj and Ghazipur took lead in celebrating this day and disseminating messaging to address myths and stigma related to menstruation through slogan writing, wall writing, rallies, poster making and group discussions. In some of our intervention villages like Argha and Mithaura of Mahrajganj The pradhans arranged sweets and water for all the people who had gathered to celebrate MHM day. A Total of 2552 people took part in these celebrations including adolescents, women, men and stakeholders besides the youth and TCLs who led the process. Such community ownership and leadership of youth and TCLs indicates how our deep transformation work is getting strengthened.

All our work happens through the financial support we received from donors like you and are immensely grateful for the same. Request you to continue your support and, if possible, refer us to like-minded people in your circle.

With Hope and Gratitude,

Aman Chhabra.