Empower disadvantaged girls in Indian slums

Anita, 19 lives in Ambedkar Nagar, a low-income community in Mumbai. She lives with her parents and two younger brothers. Her parents are daily wage earners in the neighbouring Sassoon Dock, her father is a fisherman and her mother peels prawns for very low wages and uncertain hours. 

Anita has ambition. She wants to pursue a Batchelor’s in Social Work and dedicate her time to working in the social sector. Like many girls in her community she struggles to find the opportunity to study. She has many household duties and takes care of her siblings. Societal pressures make it difficult for Anita to express her feelings and to speak out. Girls are amongst the most marginalised in the community.

Joining OSCAR’s Buland (voice) Project gave Anita a much needed confidence boost. It provided a safe place for her to be with other girls who struggle with similar and sometimes different issues. It is heartwarming to watch the girls supporting each other throughout the programme. Anita learnt that taking care of her own needs and loving herself was not selfish but necessary. The Buland Project empowered Anita to take her learnings onto the ground. She now mentors and guides many younger girls from her community and is working hard to teach them to leave their inhibitions behind.

With your support the Buland Project will continue to deliver life changing training workshops to enable older OSCAR girls to reach out to many more young girls, who just like Anita lack the confidence and courage to speak out. 

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• WHO WHAT WHY & WHERE

OSCAR's ‘Kick Like A Girl’ campaign advocates for gender equity in polarised low-income communities that are resistant to change. We have undertaken a variety of activities over the years to help girls challenge their preconceived roles in society and recently started a training programme called ‘Buland’.

Buland means voice and one of our key aims is to offer a platform for disadvantaged girls where they can express themselves, reflect and share their thoughts. So far, we have covered topics like self-esteem, self-awareness, mindfulness, gratitude, courage and confidence. Through a gender lens, we encourage our participants to view the world around them with compassion and empathy. We have delivered 8 sessions to 35 participants with more planned.

The feedback of our participants has been very positive with many enjoying the collaborative approach to the sessions. We are excited to cover more topics and conduct many more activities with our young leaders in the coming months. Scroll to see some of the art and thoughts of our girls who attended the session. 

 Testimonial

 “ I have been with the Buland project since the beginning. I love how it focuses on mental and social well-being. It has given me an opportunity to grow. I have had the chance to reflect on myself for the first time. There are so many pressures for us young girls and having these sessions gives me a sense of community and helps me relax. Every session has a key message and learning, which I try to implement in my life. I have also enjoyed the process of documenting my journey through my journal and art.” Pratiksha

 “ There is a great sense of community among our group. I feel like Buland is a shared space for us to learn and reflect on our lives. I have never attended a training like this, it’s really unique! I also enjoy meeting new people from different parts of the city who have different stories to share. I love the assignments which encourage us to write our thoughts and also express them creatively through art.” Priti

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• The OSCAR family wish you all our donors a HAPPY DIWALI