Providing Life Skills to 300 Girls living in Slums

We are deeply thankful to all of you for supporting the education and empowerment of girls living in slums in and around Mumbai. Their families have migrated from poor areas and are usually only semi-literate. Girls attend state supported schools and receive low quality education for 28 hours a week with practically no libraries, sports or skills training. Our organization fills this lacuna with a program to impart soft and hard skills and trains them to use in communities to visibalize girls’ presence and potentials. You will be happy to learn that all girls under this program complete 10 or 12 years of education. Many join undergraduate courses if they can. This is to acquire further skills and knowledge that will give them better career prospects and participate in community leadership work. They become role models and sources of inspiration for others.

We try and seek funds for their educational expenses. A support fund of Rs. 10000.00 (USD 150.00 approx.) a year is needed for some courses but professional courses need Rs. 30000.00 (USD 450.00 approx.) The amount will cover their fee and stationery. They themselves will raise additional sums for special coaching, travel, books and exam fee. We request you on the occasions of Giving Tuesday and Christmas to donate generously and support girls to continue with their studies. This work has become part of our training work in 20 slums and our network is spreading.

Durga’s Journey

Durga joined our program when she was in class 7 in a state run school. She lives in Juhu Galli, a slum that is almost constantly in the process of being demolished. Despite this insecurity, Durga maintains a high morale and pursues her studies to get good results. She proactively works on community issues. Exhibits of a photography workshop displayed spaces found unsafe by girls. Durga took photographs of a boys’ hang out near community toilets. With an absence of toilets in their homes, girls visiting these community toilets would be leered at and harassed by the boys hanging outside the toilets. A journalist published one of these photographs and a mob attacked Durga’s home as the face of one of the boy’s was clearly visible. Durga justified her position, could garner family support and faced the mob successfully. Finally the hang out near toilets was prohibited by local leaders. Today Durga is completing a course in Pharmacy with a scholarship from Vacha. She will receive her B. Pharm. degree in June 2018.  Her earnings will help the family break out from the vicious circle of poverty.