Adolescent Girls Health Rights

This is a project that works primarily with 8-17 year old girl students of 10 no.of residential Government Ashram schools in Khordha district of the eastern Indian state of Odisha. The girls come primarily from Santhal, Kandha and Munda tribes. They represent more than 12 districts of Odisha with a higher number from Mayurbhanj and Kandhamal.

The activities, carried out with girls after school hours and holidays. Libraries have been set in all hostel premises. Primary task is to listening, speaking, reading, writing, drawing, singing, dancing and playing. These are activities that all children love to do. But not every child gets an opportunity to do these. With some mentoring and facilitation from their teachers the young girls have been talking and listening to each other about their families and themselves. About their villages and the people who live there. They are discussing about work and labour. About their bodies and their surrounding and what they can do to look after both. They are reading, not just text books but story books. They are writing about their dreams and aspirations for themselves, their families and their villages.