Veena, Meena, Riya and ShatabdiThese four brave girls from West Bengal are associated with the ‘Kanyashree Project’ project for education and self-reliance, and are writing their own future by standing strong against social evils.
The ‘Kanyashree Project’ launched in 2013 in collaboration with UNICEF is a cash transfer scheme of the Government of West Bengal that helps underprivileged girls fulfill their dreams with conditional cash grants.
This project has become a beacon of hope in the lives of adolescent girls. By providing financial incentives for adolescent girls to continue their education, child marriage of girls from vulnerable groups can be prevented and their social and economic empowerment possible.
These four girls have now become unique examples of empowerment in society. Kanyashree showed them the way to fulfill their dreams through respect, education and independent living.
Veena: Struggle against child marriage
Veena wanted to play like an elder sister and win a medal.
For Veena, the ‘Kanyashree Project’ project was like a shield that protected her from the evil prevalent in her community, i.e. child marriage. Growing up with five siblings, Veena saw her father struggle alone to raise her children after her mother’s death.
But Veena chose a different path for herself instead of succumbing to the pressure of marriage at a young age.
Veena said, “I wanted to play like my elder sisters and win medals. The 1,000 rupees I received annually under the Kanyashree K-1 scheme helped me pay my school fees and focus on sports.
An excited Veena thanked Kanyashree and said, “Because of Kanyashree, I am not willing to get married early. Now I encourage other girls in the society to do the same.”
The cash received from the scheme has helped the girls to continue their school education. Kanyashree Yojana, through financial assistance, has helped countless girls to pursue higher education, opening doors to new opportunities and breaking the cycle of poverty, reducing pressure on girls to marry at an early age.
Meena: Ambition to pursue higher education
Meena is studying to become a nurse.
In many areas of West Bengal, the evil practice of child marriage has been going on for a long time. Families are often forced to marry off their daughters at an early age due to social norms, religious practices and economic pressures.
This has a negative impact on the education, health and future of girls. Kanyashree Yojana aims to address this problem by helping girls complete their schooling and preventing girls from legally marrying before the age of 18.
“Kanyashree Yojana has not only helped me to continue my studies, but has also given me a way to get rid of evil practices like child marriage prevalent in my family and society,” asserts Meena.
For girls like Meena, Kanyashree Yojana is like a ray of hope, giving them wings to break social and family barriers and fulfill their dreams. The youngest of five siblings, Meena’s three elder sisters married soon after completing their school education.
But, Meena did not accept it. To fulfill his ambition, he got the support of Kanyashree K-II project and took a bold step to secure his future.
Meena got admission in college for higher education with 25 thousand taka received under this scheme. Also, to fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse, she bought a laptop to help her studies.
RIA: Financial Literacy and Self Defense Training
Rhea, a class 8 student, joins the Kanyashree club and takes self-defense training at her school.
Rhea, a Class 8 student, got her way to the future from the Kanyashree Club run by her school. These clubs are a part of the Kanyashree Project scheme, through which training like leadership skills development, financial literacy and self-defense are imparted.
Rhea has also taught her family about cyber security and financial security through training at Kanyashree Club. “Kanyashree has given me the courage to make thoughtful decisions and stand up for myself,” says Rhea.
“By joining the club, I learned budgeting, which helps me save money. Now I help my family manage household finances.” Kanyashree clubs were formed to help adolescent girls develop various skills like conversation, learning and leadership.
Apart from sports, self-defense training, financial literacy workshops, awareness campaigns on child rights and cyber security are conducted in these clubs.
Participating in various club activities helps girls build self-confidence, develop a sense of belonging and gain many important life skills. It enables them to make choices and contribute positively to their communities.
Centenary: Waves of Change
Shatabdi works with an NGO in her village to raise awareness about the Kanyashree project and empower other girls to fulfill their dreams.
Shatabdi’s life is a unique example of determination, ambition and the will to do something different. Growing up in a poor family, Century’s hardships were compounded when his father suffered from mental health problems. Despite poverty and adverse domestic circumstances, Shatabdi did not abandon his studies.
With financial assistance of Rs 25,000 from Kanyashree K-2, Shatabdi completed his schooling and despite getting married at the age of 19, battled through difficult circumstances and earned a master’s degree.
After the help she received from Kanyashree Yojana changed her life, Shatabdi is today busy educating other girls in her village. She is working closely with an NGO to help girls fulfill their dreams and stand on their feet.
Towards a bright future
“UNICEF started its journey with Kanyashree in 2013 in collaboration with the West Bengal government to design this conditional financial assistance scheme,” said Swapnadeepa Biswas, UNICEF’s Child Protection Officer in West Bengal.
“We are focused on developing a sustainable model to launch the scheme and increase its impact,” he said.
“After the launch, we deepened our collaboration with the district administration and focused on empowering girls by organizing workshops on education, skills, self-defence, behavior change, etc.
The Kanyashree Project project continues and gives hope to countless girls in West Bengal.