MY FUTURE MY CHOICE!

Kavita comes from a very poor family in Uttar Pradesh. With a large family to look after; her father could not afford to send his children to school. But one day, Kavita met a girl in her village who had been to a Udaan, a residential camp run by CARE where she had completed classes I-V in just one year. She spoke confidently even in front of the village elders and even replied to the questions that others were asking.

 “I decided that day I will also go to Udaan.  I came to Udaan when I was 11 years old and it changed my life completely” says Kavita.

The classes opened her eyes to a new world and learning was fun and never boring. She studied social issues, including health and politics. For the first time in her life, Kavita was encouraged to explore and share ideas, discuss, negotiate and work in groups, with other girls from different castes and backgrounds. They were sent on “field trips” to the bank and the post office, and learnt how to ride a bicycle. After eleven months’ intensive academic, practical and social learning, Kavita graduated from Udaan, transformed.

She returned home to find that her parents had begun making plans for her to marry, but Kavita, imbued with a new sense of purpose, persuaded them to let her continue her studies in a government school.

Recently again, her parents found another match for her. She was reluctant because the prospective groom was 30 years her senior, but her parents did not see this as grounds for refusal. However, when he demanded a huge dowry, Kavita put her foot down. She discussed her situation with her colleagues, also Udaan graduates, and with their support, confronted the man and told him the marriage was off.

Kavita is still only 22 years old, but she is clear that she will not settle for second best. She is now a graduate and a trained teacher She would like to marry, but is determined that she will not compromise on her freedom to choose. She has now found her inner strength to make informed decisions about her life. She is not afraid of standing up for her dream of a career, and a husband who respects that.

Many girls like Kavita donot have the opportunity to go to school or educational camps life Udaan. With as little as Rs. 30,000 a year per student, Udaan enables girls to enter the formal system of education. HELP HER LEARN!