Project Puthri - empowering girls through valuable life-lessons

This is a story about five young girls.?Mind you, these are not regular stories, because these are not your usual, school-going, teenage girls. These stories are of struggle, hard-work, resilience and conquering fear - the fear of an uncertain future. Read on…

Saidurga, a class 11 student, aspired to become a veterinary doctor but her mother was hesitant. A single parent, Saidurga’s mother can hardly make ends meet, yet, somehow, she let her daughter pursue her studies in a municipality school in Chennai, Tamilnadu.

Saidurga feared public speaking, even in class she found it difficult to speak up. That’s when her teacher suggested Puthri classes. As per Saidurga, this proved to be a turning point in her life, “I was worried at first, that’s it’s one more class for me to attend but it was like a group of friends, sitting, chatting and having a lot of fun together! Gradually, I came out of my shell, pushing myself to think - let me at least try to respond to the question, if I am wrong, will what happens. In a course of time, I started participating in competitions like mic & show, drama, I couldn’t believe that it’s me!”

Kavitha, shares, “I wasn’t very good at grooming myself. Basic etiquette is something I learned through Puthri’s sessions, I even taught the importance of grooming to my family and friends. I love hearing our mentors; they are good speakers. It’s due to them, that today I confidently express in a crowd, I even won an extempore award!”

Kavitha’s father lost his job at a private company and drives an auto now. Mother earlier, a home-maker, presently contributes to their monthly income. Kavitha is in 11th grade and wishes to be an IAS officer. The goal-setting workshops became a boon as her scores improved from 85% to 93%! She’s attended more than 30 sessions and swears by Puthri, equally delighted to have won the 1st prize with her volleyball team in two cities!

Meghna is proud of the fact that she’s the only one in her family to be educated. Currently a 12th grader, Meghna found the time-management exercise conducted by Puthri mentors extremely beneficial in her daily life. Having imbibed lessons of prioritising and making a study time-table, she could secure more than 90% in almost all subjects, enabling her to win the “Best student” award in school!

Coming from a humble background - her father is a tailor and mother, a home-maker; they wanted to discontinue her studies, but are now happy to see her performing well in school. Inspired by her mentors’ stories, a confident Meghna reveals, “my dream of becoming a computer engineer may not be just a dream anymore!”

Ratnashree, discovered the practice of self-talk mantra “I can do it!” extremely motivating. She attends virtual Puthri classes with her brother. Ratna informs, “Post Puthri, I’ve become responsible at home and also treat my school teachers with more respect. I really liked the time-management sessions, even my teachers noticed the growth and asked me to continue putting required efforts.”

“I want to be a civil engineer. My friends informed me about Puthri classes. Initially, I used to memorise everything but only because of Puthri, I began understanding what I was learning, which proved useful in my examinations. I play rugby and was required to be on the field at 6am; after attending the time management classes, I realised the importance of punctuality,” recounts, Kamini. Kamini’s parents also acknowledge the improvement she’s shown.

?All these five girls discovered a common, meaningful link in their otherwise challenging situations - the Puthri mentors. India’s first-ever developmental project Puthri, seeks to create career intentional ladies out of underprivileged girl students in the grades 8 to 12. Through a blend of classroom sessions, games and corporate exposure, the children are provided crucial life-lessons.

Dr Saundarya Rajesh, founder of the NGO Avtar (of which Puthri is a part), puts this mission in perspective, “through this program, girls learn to take independent decisions about their future. It leads to their economic empowerment further contributing to the country’s GDP.”

Kamini’s words sums up the work done by Puthri aptly “my most unforgettable experience is getting close to two of my mentors, I still call one of them akka (sister). I could reach them at any time when I had problems at home or in general. They spoke to my mother who agreed and let me continue my studies after grade 12. I cannot thank them enough.”

More power to Project Puthri; more power to our force of five!