By Praveen Kumar | Program Manager
Rekha (name changed), age 13, lives in the red-light area of Forbesganj, where girls are taught early to make themselves small. She is the eldest of three children, and her mother has spent years trying to keep the family afloat through irregular work, debt, and constant social stigma. In their lane, everyone knows which girls are most vulnerable. They are the ones who walk alone, speak softly, and have no one to stand beside them.
Until recently, Rekha was one of those girls.
She kept her eyes down on the road to school. She avoided answering questions in class. When older boys mocked her for where she lived, she would come home silent and ashamed. Her mother worried not only about bullying, but about the larger dangers that shadow girls in communities like theirs — coercion, harassment, and the ever-present threat of trafficking.
Rekha joined Apne Aap’s Kung Fu and Karate classes last year because another girl from her neighborhood insisted she come. At first, she stood in the back and copied the movements without conviction.
Now she comes for herself.
Three afternoons a week, she trains at our center with other children from the red-light area. She practices stance, balance, blocks, and controlled strikes. She has learned how to shout with force, how to hold her body steady, and how to look directly at the world instead of shrinking from it.
This quarter, she did something her mother still talks about with amazement.
When two younger girls were being cornered and taunted on their way back from class, Rekha stepped forward, called for help, and walked them safely home.
She did not freeze.
She did not disappear.
She stood her ground.
No girl in her family had done that before.
Rekha’s Progress in Jan–March 2026
In the past three months, Rekha:
Attended martial arts classes regularly and strengthened her confidence and discipline
Improved her participation in school because she feels safer moving through her neighborhood
Learned self-defense techniques that help her respond to bullying and intimidation
Began encouraging younger girls in class who are still shy and fearful
Showed real courage by stepping in when other girls were being harassed
Her instructor told us:
“The biggest change is not only in her technique. It is in the way she carries herself. She no longer apologizes for being present.”
Her mother said:
“Earlier she walked like she was afraid of everyone. Now she walks like she belongs to herself.”
This Is Prevention. This Is Protection. This Is What Your Support Makes Possible.
Your support this quarter helped Apne Aap:
Run Kung Fu and Karate classes for children in the red-light area of Forbesganj
Build confidence and self-protection skills among children at risk of trafficking
Create a safe space where girls can grow stronger in body and mind
Reduce the impact of bullying, shame, and fear on children’s daily lives
Help girls imagine futures beyond exploitation and silence
Every time Rekha steps onto the mat, she is learning more than self-defense.
She is learning that she has the right to be safe.
What’s Next for Rekha in 2026
Continued advancement in martial arts training
Greater confidence in school and in public spaces
More leadership among younger girls at the center
Stronger protection from harassment and trafficking risk
A dream she is only beginning to say aloud:
“I want to become strong enough to protect other girls too.”
This spring, your support is helping girls in Forbesganj grow strength instead of fear, confidence instead of silence, and possibility instead of exploitation.
Give today — so more girls step into the months ahead safer in their bodies and stronger in their futures.
Links:
By Praveen Kumar | Program Manager
By Praveen Kumar | Program Manager
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