Give GIRLS in India a CHANCE at life

Dear Donor,

Hope you and your family are safe and healthy !!

The best way to fight GENDER BASED DISCRIMINATION( GBD) is by involving all community members. So this time, apart from celebrating Interational Human Rights Day in community, we focussed on working with Team Change leadres, teachers and mobilizing the community.

1. International Human Rights Day Celebration

a)       In Panipat, a seminar was organised in Deshbandhu Gupta Govt. College Panipat in collaboration with Women Cell, Eco-Club and Legal Literacy Committee. Ram Mohan Rai, Advocate -Supreme Court spoke about Human Rights and Constitutional Rights and Values in detail. He also spoke about the origin and importance of Human Rights Day around the globe. Breakthrough’s Mukesh talked about 16 days of activism in the light of Human Rights Day, he also talked about the increased cases of violence against women and girls and Breakthrough’s campaign #Dakhal Do. 110 participants attended the seminar including students and faculty of college. Team Change Leader Kiran organised a meeting with women on Internal Day of Human Rights in her village Rajapur, Panipat. She had a discussion with 18 women on human rights- what are human rights and how our rights are violated in daily life. This helped women in the community to know human rights and barriers in access to rights.

b)      In Jhajjar, Breakthrough celebrated this day in Indira Priyadarshini College Jhajjar in collaboration with District Legal Service Authority, Sakhi- One Stop Centre and college administration. Chief Judicial Magistrate cum Secretary DLSA joined us as a chief guest. Breakthrough facilitated discussion on rights and responsibilities using Breakthrough's video. Principal of the college Mrs. Bala Dhankhad shared background of the observation of Human Rights Day around the globe. She emphasized on how this day is dedicated to talk about our rights. She also reflected on kind of discrimination and violence prevalent in the society and also shared that this is sheer violation of human rights. The UN declared 10th December as Human Rights Day in 1950. Event was culminated by making a human chain of all the 250 participants in the college ground. Series of training on violence against women was organised with 500 frontline workers and community women in collaboration with DLSA Jhajjar in 10 GPs.

c)       In Gurugram Breakthrough celebrated this day with young adults in collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra (NYK). Representatives from CMMGA also joined the event. Breakthrough facilitated discussion on human rights with 35 youth from NYK using Mann Ke Manjeere and Bell Bajao videos. Arvind from CMGGA talked about awareness parts of the Human Rights, he reiterated that it's everyone’s responsibility to raise their voice to get their rights, especially the critical role of the state teams in creating awareness. He also shared that we all have a role to play in daily life to make discourse on human rights and constitutional rights at our level. Breakthrough’s team change leader Anjali spoke about her village and shared that there is enough opportunity for boys in our community to study and go outside where they want to go, on the other hand girls have to negotiate with families and communities for their education at every step.

2. Capacity building of Fellows and Team Change leaders

a)       A training was conducted for 20 Breakthrough Fellows selected from intervention communities across 6 districts of Haryana for this 3 days residential training. In this training, understanding of BT fellows was built on life-skills, Gender, Gender Based Discrimination, Gender Biased Sex Selection and different forms of gender based violence and facilitation skills.

b)      25 Team Changer Leaders selected from different intervention communities of Haryana also underwent the training. Dhivya and Nirmala facilitated this training and helped participants to build their understanding of issues like- Gender, GBD, GBV, patriarchy, power and privilege, forms of violence, visioning on role of team change leaders, films screening was also used to build issue understanding. Team Change Leader are the future leaders who would initiate actions on the violence and discrimination against women and girls in their own communities and would act as bridge between adolescents and community to support their voices.

c)       Out of these some 15 Team Change leaders underwent training on barefoot counselling techniques. Through this 2 days residential training they learnt about self, self-care and their strengths and vulnerabilities. Workshop helped team change leaders to sharpen their listening skills and how to turn vulnerabilities as their strengths.

3. Teachers Training

a)      Online Sessions on Child Safety with teachers: In January, child safety week was observed across India. In Haryana, Breakthrough members were invited from education department and school administration in our intervention area to facilitate the session as resource person. Breakthrough is recognized as an expert on gender and child safety. Breakthrough team members facilitated the session on POCSO, Child Safety during online sessions and linking vulnerable children to the school system, which was well appreciated by the organizing schools. Breakthrough focused on vulnerability caused to adolescents’ girls by dropping out from school, low access to digital devices due to gender discrimination and violence and early marriage. 362 teachers and principals from 11 schools attended these sessions.

b)      Strengthening School Management Committee in Karnal: One day teachers training organised in Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat and Jhajjar in collaboration with District Legal
Service Authority and Department of Education. Discussion was focused around concept of SMCs, mandate and role and responsibilities of members in contributing to improve education. Principals and teachers actively participated in discussion and ensured to take these learning back to strengthen the SMCs. Principal from Gadhi Khajur school appreciated Breakthrough for raising awareness and taking initiatives to address issues of drop out and early marriage in the community. Ms. Sudesh Thakral, Block Education Officer, Gharaunda block addressed the participants and appreciated Breakthrough work which is witnessed in the ground. Principal and teachers who are part of SMC participated from 80 intervention schools. 

4. Community Mobilization

a)       Theatre of the Oppressed was organized across 60 intervention villages of Hazaribagh, Jharkhand focusing on the increasing cases of early marriages in the villages, issues related to gender based discrimination, the need to encourage girls to pursue their higher education, the need to demystify menstruation and the need to maintain hygiene. Through this format of theatre, we not only captured the attention of the spectators but also encouraged them to address and respond to the oppression by brainstorming and thinking of possible ways to counter such oppressions. For instance, in Donai Khurd’s Muslim Mohalla, Rohit Raj appreciated the messages focused by the play and expressed that this activity should be conducted in schools too. If done, the young boys would be motivated to understand the gender- based inequalities existing in society and would be able to take informed measures to address such inequalities as well as malpractices like early marriage. Through Theatre of the Oppressed we reached 65188 people through the activity at 278 spots.

b)      In Haryana, we organised Hyper Local Campaign is our 40 Gram Panchayats across 6 intervention districts. Hyperlocal campaign conceptually aimed to address the local issues of the particular area/zone. During the pandemic, many issues emerged as challenge to lives specially lives of women and girls, double burden of household chores and violence expanded many folds. There was a high risk of drop out of adolescents’ girls followed by early marriage. Aspiration of adolescents’ and youth were at stake during the pandemic. This campaign encouraged communities to come together to create support structure so that they continue their education and seek what they aspire for. Our goal is to spread awareness among the larger community at Gram Panchayat level about the above issues, so that they can take it forward. During the campaign, we used street theatre. Through this campaign we reached 10132 community members (including adolescents, youth and their parents and other stakeholders). More than 80 street plays shows were performed during the campaign in 40 GPs.

This all work is happening because of support of DONORS like you. We would request you to continue your support and if possible recommend our project to like-minded people.

With Hope and Gratitude,

Aman Chhabra.

Dear Donor,

Hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy!!

Mentioning below some of the key highlights of our work between August and Dec 21.

1. Engaging with the adolescents and youth to enable them to negotiate on the issue of discrimination and violence, early marriage and their right to education

Taaron Ki Toli (Legion of Stars) Sessions The objective of TKT sessions is to strengthen adolescent’s understanding of gender and gender-based discrimination; their knowledge around rights; their agency to recognise, negotiate and act against discrimination and violence. This would help in bringing a shift in attitude within them wherein they can question and defy discriminatory norms and make informed decisions about marriage, pursue higher education and careers. We were able to reach total 43143 Ujjwal Taras and 19233 Roshan Taras in UP and Jharkhand. Three chapters were taught this month namely ‘Jan Pehchan Ho’, ‘Suno to sahi suno’ and ‘Saaf,santulit, swasth’. 113 sessions were conducted in Gorakhpur in schools and 247 in community. The chapter ‘Sabke samne’ was taken up during assembly.

Training of Team Change Leaders (TCLs) in Uttar Pradesh To help the TCLs strengthen their emerging leadership skills, training on the conceptual understanding of gender and discrimination, facilitation skills and the Child Safeguarding Policy are conducted on a regular basis. The training programme during the present reporting period was conducted in UP and Jharkhand in two batches with 68 participants and they learnt several tools and activities to address and explain gender stereotypes and the larger patriarchal structure. The TCLs learnt about different techniques of learning, and four Taaron ki Toli chapters namely ‘Yeh Kaun Hai’, ‘Suno Toh Sahi Suno’, ‘Saaf Santulit Swasth’ and ‘Do Atmakathaye’.

In Haryana, Independence Day was celebrated by Breakthrough team and team change leaders in many villages and engaged 2500 community members (including adolescents, youth, parents, teachers and stakeholders like FLWs and PRI members. Participants highlighted the current situation of women and girls, specially how their dreams are not encouraged and how they are pushed behind through poster making, songs of freedom, poetry etc. Team Change leaders felt ownership and pride in celebrating this day and talking about discrimination and violence women and girls face, in the events. In some villages and schools’ adolescents and young girls were invited for flag hoisting.

 2. Promoting and facilitating the engagement of the community in growth and development of women and girls and other social concerns

Community Engagement: Community Engagement Sessions are critical to bring about deep transformation as well as sustainable change. Community engagement during the reporting period included:

Participatory Rural Approaches (PRA) Training in Haryana

Four days training on Participatory Rural Approaches was organized to learn the participatory tools to deepen our work in the community. 28 Program team members from Haryana and Delhi team participated in the training. Training was well received by the participants and helped them in building better understanding of participatory approaches, they also got confidence of initiating community work and formation of youth group under deep transformation model.

PRA Training in Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand

The social resource mapping and mapping of safe and unsafe places by adolescents and youth pressed the Pradhans (Village Heads) to ensure that the unsafe village spots are made safe. This is important as safety and security concerns are often cited as major reasons by parents to marry under aged daughters. PRA activities were conducted in 61 villages of UP with 2604 participants, and 13 villages with 243 participants in Jharkhand.

Community meetings- Dr. Mazhar Rashidi, an external facilitator, was hired to conduct community engagement sessions with the key stakeholders including PRIs, School Management committee members, Nari Sangh members and men’s groups. 66 meetings were conducted in which 3040 stakeholders participated from UP and Jharkhand.The objective was to reinforce adolescent issues among stakeholders and to ensure that girls are provided a safe, equitable, and nurturing environment in their communities.

This all work is happening because of support of DONORS like YOU. We would request you to continue your support and if possible recommend our project to like-minded people.

 

With Hope and Gratitude,

Aman Chhabra.