Empower 1500 girls in India to be Healthy & Safe!

Pooja, a 13 year old girl is a participant of The YP Foundation's CSE (Comprehensive Sexuality Education) programme which provides rights affirming and unbiased information on young people's health and rights. 

As part of the activities in the programme, Pooja was asked to write about one aspect of "home" that she liked the most. The idea was to encourage participants like her to express their emotions, fears and aspirations in a safe space. Pooja wrote about her bedroom as a space that allows her the freedom to be creative and the independence to express herself. In this space, she is able to study, listen to music and be by herself without any interruptions.

The value of a pakka house is extremely high as Pooja previously lived in unauthorised colonies where typically the concept of privacy did not exist. The houses were small and congested, consisting usually of two rooms - a kitchen and a living space. Her rehabilitation to a pakka house with distinct rooms and spaces evolved her understanding of space and privacy and the freedom that it entailed. A critical aim of the programme is to encourage young girls to recognise their personal and bodily autonomy and lead decisions about health, relationships and following their aspirations. For Pooja, the few moments of privacy in her bedroom was a privilege and helped us understand the need to advocate for safe spaces for young girls within their homes as well as outside.  

The generous support of donors like you, helps TYPF continue to work with young girls like Pooja to enable them to express and emphasize their needs and desires to their families and communities. TYPF has been able to continue work with the community and positively impact the lives of young people like Pooja. We really appreciate it and would like to thank you for all your support!