Give GIRLS in India a CHANCE at life

Dear Donor,

We are happy to share with you that now our classroom sessions for Taaron Ki Toli( Legion of Stars) would be conducted with children till the age of 18 years and not only for children between 11-14 years. Mentioning below our key highlights for the same.

Before Summer Vacations:

Classroom Session with Taaron Ki Toli(TkT)-Ujjwal Tara(11-14): Breakthrough’s classroom sessions aim to change learning outcomes for 6-12^th standard kids by transforming their gender attitudes and aspirations, and in turn, their behaviour. This further helps improve their access to resources such as education, healthcare and menstrual hygiene products.

During the reporting period, we engaged with the new batch of TkT students in class 6. Additionally, our old batch of TkT students have completed their Year 1 module of TkT and are now in classes 7th and 8th and will be studying the Year 2 module of TkT.

With students of class 6^th, we facilitated a session called Jaan Pahchan Ho (Let’s get to know each other). This introductory session helped set their expectations from the sessions and clarify their role in the sessions. Simultaneously, the sessions with class 7^th and 8^th students looked at honing their leadership skills. With the help of a lesson called Guru Kaun (Who is the leader?), we helped students acknowledge the value of acquiring leadership skills and also strengthened the mutual trust among youth club members. We reached out to an average of 107 students from class 6^th; 112 students from class 7^th & 149 students from class 8^th, across 6 schools of Jhajjar.

This is the final year of TkT intervention with students in class 7th and 8^th. We are already seeing a significant improvement in their understanding about gender and their negotiation skills. We now hope implement the same with the new batch of students in class 6^th.

Formation and Preparation of Adolescent Girls (15-18 age) Groups in communities: With our experience of working with adolescents, we realized that 15-18 year-old adolescents are the most vulnerable as drop-outs, marriage discussions and restriction on mobility, start at this age. Hence, we have decided to engage with these older adolescents. We will be working with these adolescents to build their agency, develop life skills, leadership and confidence, as well as inform them about their sexual and reproductive health rights. All of this will be done with a view of ensuring that they make informed decisions about their own lives.

In April, we began our discussion with adolescents and their parents in the communities. The initial discussions with adolescent girls included them sharing their aspirations and issues they face from peers, parents and society.

In the coming days, our discussions with them will also look at career counselling and building their aspirations, so that girls can meet their full potential and can think of a life that does not just end in marriage.

In order to engage with larger number of older adolescents in an organized manner, we are now trying to work with them at school level. We are currently working on getting necessary permissions.

After Summer Vacations:

Taaron Ki Toli is a Umbrella program which includes two ages groups known as Ujjwal Tara (11-14) and Roshan Tara (15-18). After summer vacations, July onwards we are conducting session with both the groups in school under our programs which follows a socio-ecological model for the adolescent’s empowerment.

Classroom session with Ujjwal Tara (11-14) in schools: We work with adolescents with an aim to help them to identify their entitlements, their skills, their aspirations and to make them strong enough to negotiate and to start dialogue with their parents and decision makers for their rights, education and life. This time we conducted a session named Jaan Pahchan which assigns a simple task to students- to introduce themselves. In the process of introductions, the students eventually realise that a majority adopt their father’s name as a part of their identity. This opens up to explain how discriminatory practices and power dynamics are involved in their day to day lives and how they realise the role of mothers and other women in their lives.

We also facilitated session named Aaj Main Upper with class 6^th in 6 schools. This session helped students in identifying qualities & desires of each other’s and also helped to break gender stereotypes. In long run this will help to identify gender discriminatory practices among family & community.

We had also facilitated session named Har Ek Dost Jaruri Hota Hai with Class 7^th & 8^th (second Years). This session helps to build trust to each other’s.

Classroom Session with Roshan Tara (15-18) in Schools: This year we started working with 15-18 years’ age group adolescent with the aim to make them aware about their rights, roles and responsibilities. Also with the aim to discuss on education and aspiration aspects of their life. For this we will work with them through survey and its analysis, to identify their skills and to make plans accordingly. This time we met with them with the purpose of introduction.

Trainings of AWW at Block Level: To ensure more gender equitable ecosystem in community we organized AWW training around adolescent empowerment program and gender based discrimination. During these trainings 174 AWWs and 14 supervisors had participated from three block named Sohana, Pataudi & Farukh Nagar. While training they made three months’ plan for their respective villages to address gender discriminatory practices.

Intervention with Baalika Manch in Schools:Once girls reach puberty, they often drop-out of schools due to poor access to sanitation, poor safety and other reasons. Baalika Manch facilitates discussions and helps us increase their attendance and participation in schools by preventing drop-outs. This platform in formed by education department, with our intervention in school schools, and administration is happy with Breakthrough role and contribution in facilitating session and discussion on issues of rights, education and health with adolescent girls’. We reached out to 452 adolescent girls.

During this period, we facilitated assembly sessions using an audio story of our adolescent mascots, Pinky-Pankaj. The story highlights the discrimination women and girls face when it comes to sharing the responsibility for household chores. The story encourages men & boys to participate in household chores and share the burden. During the sessions, while some students shared how the community members poked fun at boys who did household work, there were many who were proud that the men in their family did participate in household chores.

In a long run, such discussions prepare adolescents to negotiate in a non-aggressive manner and influence the prevailing gender discriminatory norms.

This all work we have been able to do is because of the support from supporters like YOU. We can't thank you enough for the same and please feel free to write to us if you have any query or concern.

Thanks and Regards,

Aman Chhabra.