Protect girls from violence in school

“I wanted to become independent. I wanted to live a life which my mother could never live because of our miserable family situation. And I want to change it for myself and for my family”

Renuka

Renuka is now 21 years old. When she joined the BH Amravati project three years ago she was very shy and desperate. Her mother had died recently and she was living with her father and younger brother in a tiny slum hut. Her father pulls a goods rikshaw and makes only a very poor living. The little amount he earns he often spends on alcohol. The family has been highly indebted with a local money lender who has ripped them off half their hut. Renuka had no support at all and thus failed her school exams.

Fortunately for Renuka the BH Amravati team invited her to their youth activities. Here she slowly became more confident and developed her personality. She then joined the livelihood course and was enrolled in computer and accounting software training. Like this she gained employable skills and developed a whole range of additional talents. Now she's able to communicate very skilfully with all sorts of people. She works now as a marketing executive for Ayurvedic products and is self-employed. 

This has considerably changed her position in the family. As she brings the main income her father no longer threatens to marry her off. She diligently supports her brother to finish school properly and pass his degrees. The family is even able to improve their housing situation also. Renuka is now able to fight for a better future for herself and her family and to have agency over her life.

Thank you all for your support.

Kirti comes from a tiny village in rural Maharashtra. She grew up in a poor situation with 3 siblings. But already as a student she developed ambition to succeed with her education. She had observed how her mother and her married sister suffered by not having earning opportunities. How unfortunate it was that they were completely dependent on their husbands. Kirti didn't want to live a similar life without a voice or own agency. So she worked hard for good SLC (school leaving certificate) results and moved to Amravati for further studies.

From a friend she leant about the study center at the BH Amravati social project. Here young aspiring people can prepare for the competitive exams which are the entry point for government service. Many ambitious young men and women from poor backgrounds see a government job as their ultimate means for social security. For those from families with poor education and without knowledge about the range of other employment opportunities the government offers a safe haven for a secure job. Same for Kirti. She started to study in the BH Amravati study center in 2016 and it took her nearly 2 years to feel fully prepared to face the competitive exam. She studied daily from 11 am to 6 pm. Part of the training were weekly group discussions, weekly tests, lectures, reading and understanding newspapers and magazines. Eventually she succeeded in the exams and is now happily employed. She works as clerk in the state transport corporation.

She is proud to be the first women in her extended family to have secured a government job and contributes to the family income. She is in no hurry to get married but is even continuing her studies to develop her career. She's confident that she'll eventually find a good husband who will respect her and her ambitions.

Thank you for supporting the BH Amravati social project to enable women like Kirti to lead a meaningful and dignified work life.