It is that week of the year when we specially remember and think of all the phenomenal women around the world – women who break stereotypes, who are unafraid to question and are not broken by defeat. Child Rights and You (CRY), an organization that works for the rights of children in India brings to us the stories of 4 resilient young girls who have not only dreamt out louder than most children their age but are also working very hard towards making their dreams come true. The volunteers of CRY have been working to help nurture the precious dreams of these resilient, young girls. They have their feet on the ground yet have their eyes on the stars. These young girls are leaders and role models in their communities. Excerpts from some stories:
Anu – The Athlete
“What do you want to be when you grow up?,” Anu, a young girl from CRY’s Public Action Group at Dwarka was asked. “I want to be in the police force, she says. And I want to be able to run like PT Usha someday. Or even faster!,” she exclaims.
Anu practices running everyday after school. No, she doesn’t have fancy tracks to run on. And no, she doesn’t have someone to coach her either. Anu practices at a small park right outside her basti from 4-6pm everyday.
Purnima – The Drama Queen
Purnima is a drama queen, quite literally. She loves watching movies and practicing her dialogues. “My mother often tells me it is stupid and unrealistic to dream to be an actor when you come from a basti like ours. But I don’t think she gets it. I can show you. I can act like Katrina if you want me to.”, she says, as she then, very animatedly acts out a scene from the movie Fitoor.
Tannu – The Singer
Tannu was not good at English and would get punished often by the teacher for not being able to complete her assignment on time. This had taken a toll on her confidence. Once a CRY volunteer not only spoke to the teacher about the best practice to help Tannu improve in her assignments but also started working very closely with her to understand her subject of interest.
Today, 3 years later, Tannu dreams of being a rockstar. She has recently expressed an interest in starting her own Youtube channel.
Nindi – The karate kid
Nindi Kumari was all of 16 when going to school got difficult for her because of serious harassment situations. The martial arts classes however costed her more than she had imagined. As a consequence, she went to school in the day and took up stitching in the afternoon to fund her martial arts class. 4 years on, she now is a gold medalist at a district and state level and has made not only her family proud but is also a proud Martial Arts trainer for about 50 girls in her locality.
These young girls are unapologetic and are turning their vulnerabilities into their inspiration. They are unafraid of defeat and are setting an example for other girls in their community. As we celebrate women and their strength this week, we at DU Beat along with CRY would like to celebrate their resilience and courage.
Information and picture source: CRY Database and Media Advocacy Team
Riya Chhibber
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