Providing Life Skills to 300 Girls living in Slums

March 31 is the end of our financial year. It is also the end of the academic year in a way. Annual exams take place in early to mid April and then there is a 2 month vacation until the schools reopen in June and monsoon arrives soon after that. Thus March is the last month when co-academic activities and supplementary teaching can take place. We began the March schedule with a trip to Nature Park by nearly all Vacha Centres. This is a rare resource in the overcrowded city and the participants learnt a great deal about flora and fauna and had a picnic at the park.

Women’s Day on March 8 was observed through involving older women in community issues and girls showing a leadership role in planning and execution of the programme.

This time Vacha was one of the four women’s groups selected for organising health and gender fairs for early adolescent students in Municipal schools. The Municipal Corporation for Greater Mumbai finally comes through with approvals and a budget (very low) for this activity in March. We organized fairs in 3 schools for the Municipal Corporation. They were for girls and boys both. We often have boys in our programme since they too are from the same poor and deprived communities, though they enjoy a better status due to massive son preference in India. Also, we have found that partnership with boys and their gender sensitization help in getting a better deal for girls in family and community. Vacha is registered with Public Private Partnership Cell (PPPC) of the Municipal Corporation. The fairs covered a student population of just under 700. Lots of games were devised and the participants were very enthusiastic. Generally teachers use merely ‘chalk and talk’ method in these schools, so the students enjoyed learning by doing at the fair.

Our vacation plans are for more activities within communities as schools will remain closed. We have to factor in travel plans of students who visit their native villages in this period. That means we will have more space to accommodate kids who are not regulars with us. We look forward to meeting and interacting with them.