Protect girls from violence in school

Jagita is from a marginalised nomadic community. Her family are very poor and rely on begging to survive. She is 21 years old but has never been to school. Her name had been enrolled in the school, but the importance of education was not understood by her family so she did not attend. Instead, Jagita grew up begging because her parents saw her as a good source of income.

At 13 years old, her parent’s forced her to marry. She started having children and took on all domestic responsibilities. Their main source of income came from begging.

Jagita got involved with the project a year ago when a project leader visited her community. Jagita was noticed as a confident, clever woman who was clearly motivated to change her life. Through this, she got involved in a local women’s group where women from different communities gather to discuss local women's issues.

Her involvement in this group taught Jagita valuable organisation skills. Due to Jagita’s initiative, 13 women in her community have had training in sowing so that they can have the opportunity to work with dignity. This is something that they never thought they could experience in their lives.

Jagita still faces a huge challenge in her home life. Her husband does not like all the changes in Jagita. However, after completing the training, Jagita has managed to start earning some money sowing. Her self-esteem has grown and she feels pride in what she does.

Although Jagita still faces huge challenges in her daily life, her involvement with the project has empowered her to make changes in her life. She is now a group leader and can help other women in her community. She feels like she has value as a human being and that there is new hope for the future.