Celebrating girl power

Seventeen-year-old Saleha Khan, a college student, living in the slums of Govandi in suburban Mumbai, is one of a kind. She is leading by example for other girls in her community to pursue higher education and realise their dreams.

They say experience is the best teacher, and who knows better than Saleha, who almost dropped out of school due to financial constraints and restrictions in her community. Not one to be deterred by challenges, Saleha found support in a local NGO, Apnalaya, to pursue her studies. And in this journey, she was not alone; her mother encouraged her and their efforts paid off.

On January 1, 2017, Saleha won the Savitribai Phule award, usually given to elderly women actively working towards social causes. Recalling her own story, Khan says, “My parents refused to send me to college because of the lack of safety measures for girls in the area. It was a proud moment for me to see my father smiling while I received the award for social work.”

She adds, “In my neighbourhood, majority of the girls quit going to school mainly because of safety concerns than financial reasons. Many a times, it is difficult to handle roadside eve-teasing, so parents prefer not to send us to school and college after a certain age.”

Asserting the reason behind this decision is Khan’s mother, Parveen Khan.

“It is difficult to accompany our daughter(s) everyday to their educational institutes. But, I wanted Saleha to study further. The NGO was very helpful, providing us with basic financial help every month,” says Saleha’s mother.

Saleha is an inspiration to many girls in her community who are now taking brave strides to follow in her footsteps. Saleha has been conducting sessions on various topics such as health, education, and sanitation to help the girls and their parents.

She says: “I talk to girls about various health and sanitation problems. We also speak to children about child rights, child labour, and cleanliness in the neighbourhood. We are also convincing parents in my community to send their girls for higher education by sharing a my life story, so that they get motivated and learn from my journey so far.”

Juggling studies and social work, Saleha is currently preparing for her Class XII board exams. Her friends, she adds, have taken a leaf out of her book and joined her to have social interactive sessions with the help of the NGO.