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

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 Oct 23 and Jan 24.

Surabhi (name changed) of Loharpurva gram Panchayat, Campierganj, Gorakhpur would earlier be afraid even talking to her elders at home and teachers in school. Initially she would sit quietly even in Breakthrough meetings. But slowly she realized the importance of speaking out.

Surabhi says that earlier her family did not support her education. As was the case with most girls of her village, her parents were of the view that she should remain at home after completing class 10. They were not ready to allow her to travel 3 kms to the college. But Surabhi insisted that she wanted to study further. Initially they did not take her seriously. However, when she continued to negotiate, her parents finally allowed her.

After her intermediate, another problem arose. Her family started planning her marriage. Surabhi was very perturbed. She shared her problem with the Breakthrough community developer. Breakthrough community developer talked to her parents and informed them about the repercussions of early marriage. After several rounds of discussions, they agreed to cancel their idea of marrying her. It took another year for Surabhi to negotiate with them to allow her to join a GNM course. Now she is pursuing a GNM course from P.P. Ganj in Gorakhpur.

The story highlights how by focusing on promoting aspirations of girls, the Adolescent Empowerment Programme is giving wings to the dreams of girls like Surabhi and helping them negotiate against early marriage.

Breakthrough engages adolescents and youth through meetings, trainings and community mobilization events. The adolescents are delivered especially designed gender transformative curriculum so as to mould their gender attitudes while these are still at a formative stage.

Taaron Ki Toli (Legion of Stars) Sessions

Taaron Ki Toli is special curriculum that aims at building life skills through a gender lens. Adolescence is regarded by Breakthrough as opportune period for moulding gender notions as these are still malleable at this stage. We deliver this curriculum to two age cohorts-the 11-14 years cohort whom we call Ujjwal Taras and the 15-18 years cohort whom we call Roshan Taras.

The curriculum also tries to develop their communication skills, critical thinking, confidence, negotiation skills and leadership. Improved negotiation skills help adolescents hold intergenerational dialogue with their parents and elders on major life choices (e.g. negotiation around marriage, longer distance/ duration mobility, career, higher education). Here is one such story of a Roshan Tara-

• 17-year-old Isha (name changed) is studying in class 11. She has opted for vocational education and aspires to take up the vocation of an electrician. However, pursuing this non-traditional course was not easy. There were discouraging remarks from the community and her family members also wanted her to choose the arts stream as they regarded arts subjects suitable for girls. But Isha was not disheartened. She told her family members that she is told in Taaron Ki Toli sessions that girls can do all types of work that usually boys do. ‘If you visit my college you will find other girls also opting for such courses’. Her determination and arguments were successful. Her family finally agreed to allow her to opt for an electrician course. Her success inspired 3 other girls of the community to negotiate in their families too as they too wanted to pursue the course of electrician. They too shared at home that the ‘Taaron Ki Toli’ sessions have helped them realise that both girls and boys both can do all types of work. Such discussions related to gender equality are regularly held in the Taaron Ki Toli sessions. They gave examples of other girls from their college too. Finally, today all 4 girls of Achramau of Bakshi Ka Talab block are pursuing their vocational course of electrician.

During the reporting period, we held these sessions 18927 with adolescents (11 to 14 years’ cohort) in UP and 4994 adolescents (11 to 14 years cohort) in Jharkhand. We also held these sessions with 7566 adolescents (15 to 18 years cohort) in UP and 2185 adolescents (15 to 18 years cohort) in Jharkhand.

Kishori Melas in UP create intergenerational dialogues related to dreams and aspirations of adolescents

‘We can realize our dreams if Family and stakeholder support us’ this was the theme of the kishori melas held in Lucknow and Gorakhpur districts of UP. These Kishori Melas were held in 98 schools reaching out to 14949 people.

A key highlight was the ‘Aspiration Walk’ by adolescents during Kishori Melas wherein they carried beautiful charts and placards displaying their aspirations. Several mothers and even fathers walked side by side their daughters to show their unflinching support to their daughters. Many of them assured to support their daughters in fulfilling their aspirations and dreams. Another activity that was greatly enjoyed was the game dumb charades focusing on non-traditional careers. Other highlights included issue based songs, dance and theatre by adolescents. The theatre by adolescents showcased how collective support of stakeholders such as front line workers, representatives of Panchayati Raj, members of school management committees and peers can help adolescents negotiate with parents for their dreams and aspirations. A parent of Upper Primary School Raipur Babu of Bakshi Ka Talab block, Lucknow exclaimed after watching the theatre-“I was not aware of the work done by School Management Committees and how even we can contribute. Now I will support such initiatives for adolescents in my community too”.

Breakthrough Empowers Dreams: Celebrating the journey of Team Change Leaders on National Girl Child Day

As we rejoiced in the spirit of National Girl Child Day, we took pride in sharing the inspiring journeys of our Team Change Leaders (TCL), Priya and Poonam, who embody the essence of empowerment and positive transformation.

Priya (name changed), once constrained by cultural norms, has emerged as a beacon of change in her community. Not only is she pursuing her dream of becoming a police officer, but she is also a dedicated Team Change Leader, tirelessly working to break down barriers and inspire others. Priya's journey stands testament to the ripple effect of empowerment. Poonam (name changed), whose education faced barriers due to societal norms, has become a catalyst for change. Now a proud TCL, Poonam not only pursues her ITI classes with zeal but also actively champions gender equality in her community. Her father's support, symbolized by the gift of a mobile phone, is a testament to the positive impact Poonam is creating. Priya's brother, too, has played a crucial role in her journey, gifting her a mobile phone as a symbol of support and solidarity. This act reflects the transformative power of Breakthrough in challenging cultural norms and fostering unity within families.

Both Priya and Poonam exemplify the transformative power of Breakthrough work. On this National Girl Child Day, we celebrated the resilience and leadership of several girls like Priya and Poonam who are the torchbearers of positive change in their communities. 222 TCLs of UP and Jharkhand led National Girl Child Day celebrations in their communities involving 1124 people-the celebrations entailed cake cutting, slogan writing, oath taking, signature campaign, small group discussions, poster making, rallies, and more to spread awareness on the value of the girl child.

As TCLs, they are instrumental in driving change within their communities, challenging stereotypes, and paving the way for a more equitable future.

Video Van shows –highlighting how gender based discrimination and gender based violence are barriers in pursuit of dreams and aspirations

After watching the Video Van show, a community member from Achramau village, Lucknow acknowledged in front of the entire community, “I too used to drink and beat my wife as shown in the theatre today. This has been an eye opener for me. I pledge before the entire gathering today that I will not resort to any kind of violence at home from today.”

Such was the connect that our video van shows generated with the audience in Lucknow and Gorakhpur districts of UP. Where ever the especially fabricated van went, we witnessed tremendous community participation and a lot of inter-generational dialogues on issues like gender based discrimination, violence and dreams and aspirations. While some could identify with the discrimination depicted in the play, others could identify with restrictions imposed on games and sports for girls while there were others who could connect with the issue of gender based violence and early marriage. 52 days of video van run ensured reach to 25616 people. 

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.