A social enterprise in A.P., Telangana and Uttarakhand strives for the empowerment of marginalised sections. The activity-based classes serve to measure how much the girls understood the concepts being discussed in the camp.

It’s a welcome break from the monotony of class room teaching for these cheerful, sharp-witted adolescent girls engrossed in making a presentation as part of the activity-based special camp.
Tasked with presenting what rights they want in their ‘ideal’ country, each group animatedly discusses what they want. As the gong strikes, team leaders quickly sum up and make crisp presentations in English, at times pausing for the right word but never losing their nerve. Top on their list are right to education, safety, ban on child marriage, gender equality, clean environment, health et al.
In the next room, another activity class is on ‘My body, My Choice’ with girls speaking on consequences of early marriages and adolescent pregnancy. Elsewhere, a young counsellor helps the girls to see the difference between ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ and overcoming teenage temptations.
A 13 year-old says,” In a healthy relationship, there is equality and respect and none should force you to do anything against your wish. Yielding to temptations can mar goals and bring in unwanted consequences”. The activity-based classes serve to measure how much the girls understood the concepts being discussed in the camp.
The above activity classes at Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Jinnaram and Social Welfare Residential School at Zaheerabad in Medak are part of Winter special camps conducted recently by ‘Voice 4 Girls’ for students of social welfare schools across Telangana. A social enterprise working in three States - Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Uttarakhand in partnership with Government departments and NGOs, ‘Voice 4 Girls’ has been striving for empowerment of marginalised adolescent girls since 2012 in Telangana.
What is striking is the clarity with which the participants talk about their aspirations, career choices, rights and even what they expect in a democracy. There is nary a giggle when they hear the word ‘sex’ nor when biological changes that occur during puberty are discussed.
‘Parichay’ and ‘Disha’ are special ‘Her Voice’ camps organised twice annually to impart critical knowledge, spoken English, life and problem-solving skills and leadership qualities to help the girls grow up with awareness, confidence and re-imagine their social roles and future. The USP is that specially-trained college student counsellors act as mentors and role models at the camps and bond with them.
The goal is to reach out to enough girls across India and touch national level indicators- retention in school, child marriage and health, says Anusha Bharadwaj, Executive Director, Voice Team, adding that the girls eventually become peer leaders as ‘Sakhis’ in their schools to train others.
Secretary, Telangana State Social Welfare Residential Institutions Society R.S. Praveen Kumar, who partnered with Voice 4 Girls is happy at the impact. “Voice camps liberate students from typical class room teacher dominance and help them learn from young counsellors in an interactive mode. They help in putting the right ideas at the right time in the young minds, igniting their aspirations and strive to realise them. The outstanding girls in our schools are invariably those who attended these camps”, he adds.
“Our idea is to see that each camper evolves into a ‘sakhi’ and a counsellor herself, later. We are encouraging united Voice Camps since last year to help boys understand their aspirations and help them deal with boys as their equals,” he adds.
Close to 10,000 students of social welfare schools went through the training in Voice Camps in Telangana while Voice overall trained over 25,000 students of marginalised sections.



Source:http://www.thehindu.com/