Article Source : The Times of India, Mumbai

Author : Roli Srivastava

Date of Issue : Apr 17 2003

Title of Article : Sisters are doing it for themselves in Sanaswadi

Details : SANASWADI, Pune: A bumpy ride leads to Sanaswadi, a dusty village in Haveli taluka, over 30 km from Pune. Close to where the muddy track ends, a group of teenage girls sit cross-legged in the verandah of a hut, oblivious to the setting sun and strict rules about getting home before dark. One girl stands up to announce the agenda of the week-the essential repair of the road to the village. The 40-odd girls nod solemnly and agree to meet the sarpanch to discuss the infrastructure problem. But what is amazing is their matter-of-fact attitude - after all, none of these girls could have dreamt of stepping out of their homes until a few years ago. "Many of us from this village did not even go to school. Those who did, never made it beyond class three," says Lata (15), who holds the meeting. Some girls dropped out to take care of younger siblings or help with household chores. Others got married before their 15th birthdays. What transformed their lives was the formation of Kumari Dal. This community movement initiated by Rachana, a Child Relief and You project that works inthe villages near Pune, started eight years ago. Rachana volunteers, shocked at the high drop-out rate among girls, started non-formal education classes in a few villages. "Many of these girls were exposed to education for the first time," recollects Swati Chavan, founder member of Rachana, recalling that the girls who initially rushed home after history and maths classes soon started staying back to share their problem. These 'after class' sessions gradually metamorphosed into a movement called Kumari Dal, which now functions in 18 villages in Pune district and boasts over 400 members. Its credo is 'self development and development of the village'. That the aim has been achieved is apparent the minute you talk to Sujata Jawalkar, the poster girl of the Kumari Dal movement. Married at 15 and abandoned by her husband after five days, Sujata was labelled a 'bad influence' on other girls. She grimaces as she recollects three years of sitting at home, avoiding visitors and watching family celebrations in Sanaswadi from a distance. She was one of the first few girls from her village, Khanapur, to have joined the Dal, albeit a bit apprehensively. Encouraged by other members of the Dal and social workers, she filed for a divorce. She was the first girl in her village to have uttered the words 'legal separation'. Today, Sujata is a nurse in a Pune hospital, which makes her the first working woman from Khanapur. She smiles as she talks about appreciation from the panchayat for her suggestions. "I have earned the respect that my family and my village gives me," she says. Indeed, Sujata's is just one of numerous sunshine stories. A few miles from Sanaswadi in Jadavnagar, Manisha Athavale, a Std X student, decided to battle alcoholism. "My father was a drunkard. He would beat my mother every day and not let me study. Many girls faced similar problems at home. We conducted asignature campaign and threatened the men in the village that the next wife-beating case would be reported to the police," she says, proudly recounting how much things have improved at home ever since. Most of these young achievers have had to overcome intimidating obstacles-hostility from their families and indifference from the village. The fact that they spearheaded awareness campaigns about issues like reproductive health stuck them with the dreaded 'bold girls' tag. Nevertheless, Rani Takle from Gorekhurd village continues to conduct group discussions about menstruation, personal hygiene and family planning - topics that were never discussed openly. "We could not discuss this even with our mothers.We did not know what to do when we got our first period," she says. Similar issues are discussed at the lively meeting at Sanaswadi, while a middle-aged woman watches with rapt attention. When the meeting ends, she approaches the girls and requests them to discuss the water shortage when they next meet the sarpanch. The girls exchange glances tinged with embarrassment and pride. After all, being asked for help is still a new feeling-one which they are only just getting used to.