A Davis Project for Peace

Teaching in an Indian Village to Motivate

Girls to Live Empowered Lives
Agra, India | Summer 2009
empoweryoungwomen.blogspot.com
Change Goals:
Encourage them to believe in themselves (increased self-worth and
self-confidence)
Make them believe in the power of their own dreams and hard work
(self-efficacy) and show them how education can help
Facilitate discussion and introspection of their lives, values, interests,
strengths/weaknesses, hopes, dreams, support systems, relationship
skills, and ways to overcome obstacles and celebrate triumphs
Help them form and strengthen lifelong habits of introspection and
active and deliberate living
Position them in leadership roles and guide them toward success
Support their goals (especially of enrolling in school) by assisting
them while Im there
Help them improve & maintain their health
Why It Matters:
Educated girls and mothers are more informed and self-
confident decision-makers, leading to healthier communities
The young women of Project SHAKTI live in an interior village
that does not receive attention from social workers and
development projects, and isolates them from opportunities to
expand their understanding of the world.
While the girls vary in age from 9 23, all have either never
attended school or have dropped out due to various reasons.
Despite the fact that they are constantly exposed to the idea that
they are not smart or important enough to go to school, many
harbor the desire to somehow return to school or to somehow
be something bigger than what they are now. For these girls, a
little faith and a few remedial lessons can go a long way to help
them take the leap in tackling their obstacles, re-joining school,
and following their dreams.
Rachna & me
Specific Ways I Worked Toward those
Goals:
Designed and implemented a half-day School/Empowerment Program for 35 girls (varying
skill and age levels) running 5 days/week from June 26
th
to August 24
th
.
Taught personal care practices and other self-affirming skills (e.g. correctly writing their
names, learning how to write and post letters, how to read maps, make crafts, discuss their
values/interests, basic self-defense, etc) -- in a constant, continuous process of identifying and
responding to their needs and interests.
Facilitated formation of Sewing and Hindi learning/teaching groups (mediated conflicts and
gave leaders ideas for running their group)
Helped girls gain self confidence from learning new things and performing well as students,
teachers, peer leaders (with responsibilities in group work, setting up and passing out
materials, opening the classroom, correcting my Hindi, and stopping other village members
from disrupting sessions)
Compiled state aid resources and spoke some girls families to inform them of their options
and of the value of their daughters interest in education and vocational training
Provided material support (such as healthy snacks, textbooks, and sewing materials) as well as
emotional encouragement and faith
What tool had the biggest Impact?
Success stories told from women just like them, in media like
For some girls,
Project SHAKTI was
the first time they
heard that they can
do it. These inspiring
Girl Stars made that
message powerful.
Now, some of SHAKTIs girls are also picking themselves up after
very difficult circumstances to go to school (family responsibilities,
parents deaths, accidents, resistance, and lack of funds).
Where is the
village of Nagla
Kharga in Agra?
Where
I stayed
Nagla
Kharga
Special Thanks to:
My Family
Supporters in India both in & out of the village
The Kathryn Wasserman-Davis Foundation for their
Generous Funding
The Young Women I had the privilege to work with
The Carleton Community: my friends, professors,
Foundations Relations Staff, Write Place and Career
Center Assistants
me & kusma














































I (center) am getting to know the participants with name games as other onlookers listen from near
the school rooms.

Dr. Abha Gupta (far left) spoke on the importance of personal care and self-discipline.
Leading a discussion on their interests and helping them represent/write them on paper.














































Helping girls who can read become more comfortable with reading the newspaper, (for example, what
headlines mean, where to look for the date and different sections, identification of frequently printed
terms and people, such as the Prime Minister).
Beginning a discussion about how they define themselves and their values: who their support systems are, achievements
and qualities they are proud of, activities they enjoy, how they see their life paths. I quickly had to come up with ways to
make these abstract concepts very tangible and important for the young women. At the same time, I had to establish a
strong sense of trust in our group so that they could openly talk about themselves and allow these inherently personal
topics become personal and meaningful to them.














































As part of a lesson to bust the myth that
they and other girls in lower castes are
unintelligent, we spent a whole day talking
about the brain and the amazing things it
can do.
Here, a group works together to put
together a puzzle of the brain that I made to
illustrate senses and other aspects I tried to
tie to their daily activities and interests.
I ended the lesson reinforcing the theme
that whatever they really put their mind to,
they can achieve. I dismissed them on the
condition that they each promise me never
again to use the excuse that they dont have
the brains for something. They must have
taken me seriously because, sure enough, I
never heard it out loud again.

Some girls volunteered to read headlines to
the group. Many were quick to jump in when
a girl stumbled. Reading and correctly
understanding headlines and demonstrating
knowledge about their country became a
lighthearted competition. My mother helped
me moderate since I couldnt be prepared to
understand all the Hindi in the newspapers
myself. Together, we had fun with the girls
and for the first time got a complete picture
of the literacy levels in the room and the
degree of exposure to domestic affairs. Some
girls who told me they had been to school,
tried to read the paper upside down. Most
girls didnt know about their prime minister
or parliament and had never seen or heard
the news before. So, after some girls got to
practice their oral reading and
comprehension skills, the lesson quickly
evolved into a basic civics and government
lesson. This is a small example of how I had
to be prepared every day to tackle any given
subject and on the spot identify what are the
important things for them to understand, and
how to effectively and interactively convey
them so that the girls not only remember
them, but begin to look at the world
differently: with more interest, curiosity, and
the feeling that they are a part of it and can
make it better.
Some girls at the programs end said their most favorite new word they learned was neuron because it is fun to
say and pretend play with, with pipe cleaners.















































Talking individually to Pinky, as I test all the girls by asking them to tell me things theyve learned and how they
are integrating that knowledge into their lives. This involved asking leading questions to push them to think and
tease out answers when they would give up saying that they cannot remember anymore. The most exhausting
part of interacting with the girls was actually doing exactly this: refusing to let them give up thinking or give up
trying new things (like reading out loud, speaking in front of others, etc) by being as creative and supportive as
possible.


Pinky was one of the first
girls to open up to me in
front of the group. When I
asked the girls what their
hopes are for their futures,
she said she wants to be a
good wife and mother, to
take really good care of
others.
Her good nature but
fantastically unladylike
manners also struck me.
Often when other girls
talked while I or others were
talking, Pinky would jump to
my aid by slapping the
talking girls upside their
head, if they were close by,
or by swearing at them
across the room, just to get
their attention and then
tell them to listen up.
So, just as I made it my goal
to find a way to make every
girl feel more accomplished
or closer to her goals by the
end of the program, I
decided I would help her
use less violent and vulgar
ways to encourage good
behavior a skill very
important for rearing a
family, I think. However, I
am not sure how much I was
able to help. Unfortunately I
couldnt help but smile back
at her every time she
slapped or cursed someone,
and once satisfied with the
silence. looked up at me
with a sweet smile














































Going over self defense basics as a few volunteers act out a multiple attacker scenario with me.
















































25 of my 36 participating girls

Renu shows where she learned she should wash her hands better, after the GlowGerm activity. (they are
amused by my enthusiasm to photograph her hand.)














































Above, Khusbu, Sumun, and Sapna show some of the clay items they made in an activity with the theme:
when we think we are in difficulty or in deprivation, if we use our creativity and work with what we do
have, we can find still build a rewarding life.

Below, interactive modeling of a solar eclipse (as was occurring in Agra that weekend).














































Above, Pinky shows a frock she stitched after Sumun taught her how.

Below, Beenesh (left) with pupil Yogaish (right) showing what they sewed together. These two became much
closer after they forged their sewing teacher-student bond in the SHAKTI program.















































Making photo frames
and then showing them
off (before pasting in
their photos). These
activities not only
boosted their self
esteem but also
remarkably improved
their cooperation skills.
[Above] Krishna (center)
looking to the right said:
Ive never used these
pretty things before. My
favorites were the
[googly] eyes. After
unsuccessfully trying to
wheedle extra googly
eyes from me, she began
to cleverly trade her
craft supplies to fill her
frame with the quivering
eyes she earned; it was
very cute.


The group that cleaned up the fastest (including the mischievous Krishna) celebrates their triumph
















































Teaching girls who
can write how to
write and send
letters.

They write practice
letters to family
members.

We exchange
addresses.





Below, we talk
about how we will
miss each other
after the month is
over and joke
about the problem
of time differences
when calling.

















































Participants with 1 of the favorite books I gave them and had them read to each other. Special thanks the Girl
Stars publication series for inspiring my young women.


Presenting a certificate of completion for the SHAKTI program to Urmilla, one of the first girls to independently
enroll herself in school after watching and discussing success stories of young Indian village women in the true
series Girl Stars.

Also presenting each girl with gifts and rewards, with the help of Mrs. Kanak Gupta (my mother, far left). Urmilla
is also more comfortable and confident in front of people.














































I spent much of my time
with the girls listening to
them tell me about
themselves and
encouraging them to be
introspective. Here,
Archana is telling me
what she has enjoyed
learning most from
Project SHAKTI: How to
sew and how we build
neural connections (with
pipe cleaners)!
Khushbu, one of the youngest and
most inspiring girls I the privilege of
working with.

Early on, she told me her dream is to
go to school.

After meeting with and urging her
caretakers and brothers to enroll her,
she is now happily in school.














































Kusma, one of the girls now
in school and loving it,
stands with her Project
SHAKTI folder at the
beginning of the project,
and at the end when I am
presenting her with:
-a certificate for enrolling in
school
-parting gifts: art supplies
for her interest in art, a
dictionary and other school
supplies
- a certificate of completion
that I wrote and added
additional seals for:
participation and curiosity


Sumun and me.
She was one of the most
mature and helpful,
especially in keeping the
younger girls attentive
during craft sessions.